Cellular and molecular mediators of fibrosis in the development of urinary tract dysfunction

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PROJECT SUMMARY- OVERALL No consequential advances in medical treatment of prostate-related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) have emerged in decades. Existing medical therapies improve LUTS but robustness of these effects are marginal. Not all men respond to existing therapies, some respond with adverse effects requiring discontinuation of therapy, and most experience a progressive worsening of symptoms pursuant to initial relief. Multiple mechanisms drive development and progression of prostate-related LUTS. The overarching goal of the O’Brien Center for Benign Urology Research is to identify mechanisms that result in lower urinary tract dysfunction and prostate-related LUTS. The overarching hypothesis of the center is that fibrosis is a cause of male LUTS. In contrast to benign prostatic enlargement and smooth muscle dysfunction, prostatic fibrosis remains untargeted by existing therapies. In order to advance the scientific understanding and medical management of prostatic fibrosis, it will be necessary to: (1) identify cellular and molecular mediators of fibrosis and therapeutically- susceptible pathways using clinical specimens, (2) develop and validate preclinical mouse models of prostatic fibrosis and strategies for granular assessment of voiding function, (3) test new therapies in these preclinical models with the long term goal of treating fibrosis in men, and (4) develop new non-invasive radiologic imaging strategies with the long-term goal of diagnosing prostatic fibrosis in men. Two additional goals will advance the urologic research community: (1) develop and publicly disseminate resources to increase research efficiency, reproducibility, and rigor, and (2) cultivate an outstanding educational enrichment program to attract and retain young basic- and physician-scientists into the benign urologic research field. The Center will apply state of the art molecular and histological methods to visualize and characterize fibrosis in a range of human and animal prostatic tissues and examine how prostatic fibrosis develops, progresses, and responds to treatment. Interactions and engagement with the O’Brien Centers’ Interaction Core, the UW O’Brien Centers Website, and GUDMAP will accelerate the dissemination of data, software, methods, and tissue resources to the greater biomedical community. The leadership and experience within the Center will allow for the promotion of interactions among Center Projects, the Biomedical Research Core, and other Centers (U54, P20, K12) through communication, collaboration, and coordination. The larger vision is that O’Brien Centers will be a nidus for ideas, research, resources, training, and a unified voice across the urologic research community. To realize this vision, the Centers must become more than the sum of their parts. The UW O’Brien Center and its affiliates will contribute to this synergism by leveraging existing Center assets and relationships, conducting rigorous investigation, fostering teaching and learning, and through vigorous pursuit of innovation. With the solid financial support and “buy-in” from UW and its affiliates, Core A will lead this vision for this O’Brien Center.