AUA
  • Program
  • Register
  • Meeting Coverage
  • Guidelines
  • Industry Highlights
  • Science & Technology Hall
Topics
  • Meeting Coverage
  • Guidelines
  • Industry Highlights
  • Science & Technology Hall
Resources
  • Program
  • Register
Twitter iconFacebook iconInstagram iconYouTube iconLinkedIn icon
Apr 28, 2023

New approaches to understanding and treating pelvic pain

Chronic pelvic pain is a broad and highly variable condition that encompasses both organ-centric and systemic disease.


Aaron D. Mickle, PhD
Aaron D. Mickle, PhD

The AUA’s first basic science symposium devoted entirely to chronic pelvic pain focused on the peripheral nervous system, the central nervous system and neuroinflammation pathways and biomarkers.

One of the key gaps in knowledge is the role urothelial cells play in bladder pain.

“There are differences in urothelial receptors, gene expression, cell differentiation and cell signaling in individuals with and without chronic pain,” said Aaron D. Mickle, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Florida.

The P2X receptor pathway plays a role in pain perception, but it is not yet clear what types of neurons are involved, how the brain interprets these signals or how bladder disease or dysfunction might affect signaling.

Pain signals from the bladder are transmitted via the rostral ventromedial medulla to the spinal cord, continued Vijay K. Samineni, PhD, assistant professor of anesthesiology in the department of biology and biomedical sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Endogenous analgesic pathways in rats and in humans suggest the possibility of chronic pelvic pain analgesic pathways.

Neurostimulation of the dorsal root ganglia is one potential approach to pain management.

“If the signal does not reach the brain, the patient will not feel the pain,” said Bin Feng, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering at the University of Connecticut.

Dorsal root ganglia neurostimulation in the 50- to 100-hertz range blocks afferent neural transmission, he said, and is completely reversible.

Manipulating peripheral glia signaling is another approach. Glial fibrillary acidic protein positive glia can reduce pressure and pain sensations, said Xiaoqiao Xie, PhD, assistant professor of surgery-urology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Chronic pelvic pain is a broad and highly variable condition that encompasses both organ-centric and systemic disease.

“A nonlinear system is not the sum of its parts,” said Jennifer DeBarry, PhD, assistant professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “What is happening in the pain-free state is not the same as in the chronically painful state. We need a truly complete picture built from many different angles.”

Interesting Stories
Pacific Edge Announces Key Activities at AUA2023
Sponsored by Pacific Edge Diagnostics
Pacific Edge Announces Key Activities at AUA2023
Reshaping BPH Treatment with the iTind™ Procedure
Sponsored by Olympus
Reshaping BPH Treatment with the iTind™ Procedure
Check out the AUA’s brand new Gold Open Access journal, <i>JU Open Plus</i>
Sponsored by AUA
Check out the AUA’s brand new Gold Open Access journal, JU Open Plus
Don’t miss a thing with AUANews
Sponsored by AUA
Don’t miss a thing with AUANews
More Content
Getty Images 910070326
Meeting Coverage
Saddle up for AUA2024 in San Antonio
May 11, 2023
Getty Images 1400488393
Meeting Coverage
Healthy debates
May 11, 2023
Getty Images 1345835999
Meeting Coverage
Claim your CME
May 11, 2023
Screen Shot 2023 05 10 At 12 15 03 Pm
Meeting Coverage
Must-see TV
May 11, 2023
Screen Shot 2023 05 02 At 4 48 03 Pm
Meeting Coverage
Read all about it
May 11, 2023
Guide And Rec
Meeting Coverage
Medical guidelines and recommendations take center stage at AUA2023
May 05, 2023
Yeonsoo Sara Lee, BS, medical student
Meeting Coverage
AUA2023 through the eyes of an MD candidate
May 05, 2023
Screen Shot 2023 05 03 At 1 16 42 Pm
Meeting Coverage
AUA2023 On Demand
May 05, 2023
Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH
Meeting Coverage
Accolades in urology
May 05, 2023
Screen Shot 2023 05 02 At 4 48 33 Pm
Meeting Coverage
Mark your calendars for AUA2024
May 05, 2023
Screen Shot 2023 05 02 At 4 48 03 Pm
Meeting Coverage
Read all about it
May 05, 2023
Isla P. Garraway, MD, PhD
Meeting Coverage
Genetic testing key to targeting prostate cancer
Apr 30, 2023
AUA
Twitter iconFacebook iconInstagram iconYouTube iconLinkedIn icon
© 2023 Ascend Media. All rights reserved.