Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a debilitating chronic condition that affects 3.2 to 7.9 million women above the age of 18 in the US. IC/PBS causes unrelenting bladder pain, frequent urination and discomfort. Currently, there are no effective treatments for this chronic, life-altering condition.
The Oottamasathien Laboratory at Boston Children's Hospital is focused on understanding the inflammatory cascade for better care and treatment of those suffering from IC/PBS.
The lab is exploring the disease physiologically and searching for a treatment through its proprietary murine model.
Specifically, the Oottamasathien lab is examining the antimicrobial properties of cathelicidin (LL-37) and its potential to initiate the inflammatory cascade response. The team is researching its mechanistic role in IC/PBS and discovering how to inhibit the inflammatory cascade by limiting LL-37 mediated bladder inflammation, fibrosis, and pain. In addition, the group is exploring potent anti-inflammatory and non-opioid analgesic therapeutics based on a unique and patented sulfated glycosaminoglycan (SAGE).
