Phenotyping of IC/BPS Using Microbial Community States: Validation of a Novel Noninvasive Biomarker

Growing research into interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), a prevalent, debilitating urologic condition characterized by pain perceived to derive from the bladder, suggests a potential role for the diverse microbial communities of the urinary tract in disease development and progression. To explore the pathophysiology of IC/BPS, we will examine the relation of these urinary bacterial and fungal communities and their impact on the bladder urothelium to patient symptomatology, phenotypes, and treatment outcomes, culminating in an investigation of how these microbial communities could guide diagnosis, classification and treatment decisions for these patients. The novel application of large-scale systems biology approaches to the urinary tract and the integration of these data with detailed clinical phenotyping will facilitate profound advances in the approach to and understanding of this condition and will serve as the foundation for additional studies developing new preventative and therapeutic approaches.