(Press-News.org) Winston-Salem, N.C. – August 11, 2014 – Taking advantage of technology that can analyze tissue samples and measure the activity of thousands of genes at once, scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are on a mission to better understand and treat interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful and difficult-to-diagnose bladder condition.
"We are looking for molecular biomarkers for IC, which basically means we are comparing bladder biopsy tissue from patients with suspected interstitial cystitis to patients without the disease. The goal is to identify factors that will lead to a more definitive diagnosis, and then use this information to tailor treatments to the patient," said senior author Stephen J. Walker, Ph.D., associate professor at Wake Forest Baptist's Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
The team's initial work, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Urology, found that tissue from IC patients with low bladder capacity had a significantly different gene expression profile than both IC patients with normal bladder capacity and study participants without IC. The findings suggest there may be a sub-type of IC.
"This is the first study to document functional genomic variation based solely on bladder capacity," said Robert J. Evans, M.D., a co-author and IC specialist in Wake Forest Baptist Urology. "Interstitial cystitis is notoriously difficult to diagnose. In fact, one report found that it takes the average patient eight years and seeing five doctors to be correctly diagnosed. The identification of biomarkers to improve diagnosis or treatment would be a significant breakthrough for patients and physicians."
IC, also known as bladder pain syndrome, is a condition in which the bladder lining is tender and easily irritated. Symptoms can include severe pelvic pain, urinary urgency and frequency and painful sexual intercourse. IC is often misdiagnosed as other conditions such as endometriosis, kidney stones or chronic urinary tract infections. The condition affects an estimated three to eight million women and one to four million men in the United States.
For the study, researchers analyzed bladder biopsies from 13 patients diagnosed with IC and three patients without the condition. The biopsies were sorted into three groups: low bladder capacity (less than 13 fluid ounces as tested under anesthesia); bladder capacity above 13 ounces; and non-IC patients. Using microarray analysis, which allows gene expression profiling on a "whole genome" scale, the researchers looked for similarities and differences in gene expression between groups. The analysis tells researchers which genes are turned "on" and which are turned "off."
The results showed a highly significant difference between low capacity patients and both the normal capacity and control patients. The low capacity patients had genes related to inflammation and immune signaling turned "on." The results may reflect a fundamental difference in disease processes.
"These gene expression differences may explain why clinical trials for IC are so variable in effectiveness and have a large number of non-responders," said Evans. "There may be subtypes of the disease that respond best to particular treatments."
Based on these early results, the team is conducting further research with the aim of identifying and validating a biomarker to aid in diagnosis and treatment of IC.
"Diseases are rarely seen as single entities anymore," said Walker. "Patients demonstrating a specific disease subtype may respond more quickly and or more favorably to treatments that target that specific subtype. Having the ability to identify the right treatment for the right patient is the ultimate goal."
INFORMATION:
This pilot research was supported by funds from the Department of Urology. Because of the promise of the data, the Interstitial Cystitis Association has awarded funding for further research.
Co-researchers were: Marc Colaco, M.D., David S. Koslov, M.D., Tristan Keys, M.D., Gopal H. Badlani, M.D., and Karl-Erik Andersson, M.D., Ph.D., all with Wake Forest Baptist.
Media Contacts: Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu, (336) 716-4453) or Main Number (336) 716-4587.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a nationally recognized academic medical center in Winston-Salem, N.C., with an integrated enterprise including educational and research facilities, hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers and other primary and specialty care facilities serving 24 counties in northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Its divisions are Wake Forest Baptist Health, a regional clinical system with close to 175 locations, 900 physicians and 1,000 acute care beds; Wake Forest School of Medicine, an established leader in medical education and research; and Wake Forest Innovations, which promotes the commercialization of research discoveries and operates Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, an urban research and business park specializing in biotechnology, materials science and information technology. Wake Forest Baptist clinical, research and educational programs are annually ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
Search for biomarkers aimed at improving treatment of painful bladder condition
2014-08-11
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Highly drug resistant, virulent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arises in Ohio
2014-08-11
A team of clinician researchers has discovered a highly virulent, multidrug resistant form of the pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in patient samples in Ohio. Their investigation suggests that the particular genetic element involved, which is still rare in the United States, has been spreading heretofore unnoticed, and that surveillance is urgently needed. The research is published ahead of print in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
The P. aeruginosa contained a gene for a drug resistant enzyme called a metallo beta-lactamase. Beta-lactamases enable broad-spectrum ...
Want to kill creativity of women in teams? Fire up the competition
2014-08-11
Recent research has suggested that women play better with others in small working groups, and that adding women to a group is a surefire way to boost team collaboration and creativity.
But a new study from Washington University in St. Louis finds that this is only true when women work on teams that aren't competing against each other. Force teams to go head to head and the benefits of a female approach evaporate.
"Intergroup competition is a double-edged sword that ultimately provides an advantage to groups and units composed predominantly or exclusively of men, while ...
New study: Ravens rule Idaho's artificial roosts
2014-08-11
A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Idaho State University (ISU) explored how habitat alterations, including the addition of energy transmission towers, affect avian predators nesting in sagebrush landscapes.
Researchers compared nesting habitat selection between Common Ravens and three raptor species commonly found in sagebrush ecosystems: Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, and Ferruginous Hawks.
Using the data from their field research and reviewing historical data from other studies, the scientists developed ...
Can fiction stories make us more empathetic?
2014-08-11
Empathy is important for navigating complex social situations, and is considered a highly desirable trait. Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University in Canada, discussed how exposure to narrative fiction may improve our ability to understand what other people are thinking or feeling in his session at the American Psychological Association's 122nd Annual Convention.
Exposure to stories
Many stories are about people--their mental states, their relationships—even stories with inanimate objects, may have human-like characteristics. Mar explains that we understand stories ...
Julio embarking on weakening trend
2014-08-11
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center has issued its 30th warning on Julio today at 1500 GMT. Julio's position at this point is 395 miles northeast of Honolulu, Hawaii moving northwest at 8 knots per hour. Julio is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph, 15 km/h. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph, 120 km/h, with higher gusts. Julio is expected to weaken slightly over the next 48 hours, down to tropical storm strength by tonight.
At present, hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles, 35 km, from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward ...
Genevieve Downgraded to a tropical storm
2014-08-11
Once Super Typhoon Genevieve has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. The storm is located approximately 819 nautical miles west-northwest of Midway Island. It is currently tracking northwestward at 8 knots per hour over the past six hours. Maximum significant wave height is 32 feet. Maximum sustained winds 70 knots gusting to 85 knots, with winds of 34 knots or higher occur within 80 to 105 miles of the cente,r and winds of 64 knots or higher occur within 15 miles of the center. No landmasses are currently threatened by this storm.
Genevieve is moving northwest ...
Southfork and Staley Complex fires in Oregon
2014-08-11
The Southfork Complex fire began with a lightning strike on July 31, 2014. The complex of Murderers Creek South fire and the Buck Fork fire is located 20 miles southwest of John Day, Oregon and has affected 62,476 acres to date. The fire area experienced a shift in direction of the prevailing winds Sunday. There were short up-slope, up-canyon runs. At present there are 798 personnel fighting this fire complex.
Projected outlook for this fire complex in the next twelve hours sees continued fire spread to to the north toward Dayville, Oregon as well as continued fire ...
Devil's Elbow Complex in Washington state
2014-08-11
The Devil's Elbow Complex is four wildfires that are located on the Colville Indian Reservation in northeastern Washington. They were detected on August 3, but were likely ignited by lightning that passed through the area on August 2.
Three fires are in the San Poil River Valley, approximately 10-12 miles north of the town of Keller, WA. These are the Cub Creek Fire (165), the Central Peak Fire (160), and the Deadhorse Fire (164). They are burning timber, grass, brush, litter, and heavy slash that resulted from a local wind storm two years ago. The terrain is very steep ...
Synthetic molecule makes cancer self-destruct
2014-08-11
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and five other institutions have created a molecule that can cause cancer cells to self-destruct by ferrying sodium and chloride ions into the cancer cells.
These synthetic ion transporters, described this week in the journal Nature Chemistry, confirm a two-decades-old hypothesis that could point the way to new anticancer drugs while also benefitting patients with cystic fibrosis.
Synthetic ion transporters have been created before, but this is the first time researchers have shown them working in a real biological ...
NIST therapy for ultraviolet laser beams: Hydrogen-treated fibers
2014-08-11
To make a better optical fiber for transmitting laser beams, the first idea that comes to mind is probably not a nice long hydrogen bath.
And yet, scientists have known for years that hydrogen can alter the performance of optical fibers, which are often used to transmit or even generate laser light in optical devices. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have put this hydrogen "cure" to practical use, making optical fibers that transmit stable, high-power ultraviolet laser light for hundreds of hours. NIST scientists expect these hydrogen-treated ...