Amniotic bladder therapy in patients with recalcitrant interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Bladder pain, urgency and frequency are common symptoms that are generally seen in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) [1]. These symptoms often arise due to excessive inflammation that disrupts the urothelial homeostasis and results in dysfunction of the bladder urothelium, which serves as a barrier to prevent injurious stimuli, toxins, or microorganisms from invading the stroma [2, 3]. Unfortunately, existing treatment options are palliative and do not modulate the underlying issues contributing to the symptoms. Hence, there remains an unmet clinical need for patients presenting with recalcitrant IC/BPS. Human amniotic membrane (AM) has been used in various clinical applications such as ocular and dermal wound healing due to its ability to modulate inflammation and promote tissue regeneration in the wound healing process [4, 5]. As AM has been shown to improve wound healing in many other medical practices, likewise it may improve urothelial wound healing in patients with recalcitrant IC/BPS. Herein, we detail the outcomes of five consecutive patients KEY MESSAGES