MRI as a Tool to Assess Interstitial Cystitis Associated Bladder and Brain Pathologies

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic condition with no current diagnostic tests.
• IC/BPS presents with bladder pain, frequency, and urgency, often linked to bladder wall hyperpermeability (BWH).

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques for diagnosing IC/BPS.
• To assess bladder wall alterations and potential therapeutic efficacy using advanced MRI methods.

Main Methods:

• Developed contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) to evaluate BWH in preclinical models and a pilot patient study.
• Utilized molecular-targeted MRI (mt-MRI) to quantify BWH biomarkers like claudin-2.
• Employed diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and functional MRI (fMRI) to assess structural and functional changes in the bladder and brain.

Main Results:

• CE-MRI effectively assessed BWH in IC/BPS models and patients.
• mt-MRI demonstrated potential for quantifying BWH severity and therapeutic response.
• Other MRI techniques showed promise in evaluating structural brain changes and bladder alterations.

Conclusions:

• MRI techniques offer a potential avenue for diagnosing IC/BPS and monitoring treatment.
• Further research and clinical trials are needed to establish routine MRI-based diagnostics for IC/BPS.