Establishment of the ultimate minimally invasive treatment for interstitial cystitis and elucidation of pathogenetic control

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K09424
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56030:Urology-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Toyohiko 岡山大学, ヘルスシステム統合科学学域, 教授 (30432644)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 定平 卓也 岡山大学, 大学病院, 助教 (20733322) ; 丸山 雄樹 岡山大学, 大学病院, 助教 (00803850) ; 荒木 元朗 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 教授 (90467746) ; 和田 耕一郎 島根大学, 学術研究院医学・看護学系, 教授 (20423337)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 間質性膀胱炎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause, with bladder pain, pelvic pain, urinary frequency, and urinary urgency as the main symptoms. In particular, patients with Hanna's lesion have recurrent episodes of severe bladder and pelvic pain. Currently, treatment involves injecting drugs directly into the bladder cavity, but the drugs that can be injected are limited, and their efficacy has not been fully demonstrated. The development of ablation techniques and therapeutic agents is essential to help patients suffering from bladder pain caused by interstitial cystitis. We established a new endoscopic ablation technique for interstitial cystitis. We researched to search for optimal therapeutic agents while analyzing the pathological control of the disease, aiming to optimize treatment.

Free Research Field

泌尿器科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、間質性膀胱炎治療の分野にパラダイムシフトを起こすようなインパクトを明確に内在している。さらに内視鏡と当該アブレーションシステムの融合に伴う治療最適化・自動化システムの実現は、内視鏡治療学の幅広い分野において、これまでの学術の体系や方向を大きく変革・転換させる潜在性を有する研究であるといえる。