Review article: The molecular era of bladder research. Transgenic mice as experimental tools in the study of outlet obstruction

Abstract

Purpose: To review the crucial role of transgenic mice as experimental tools in the study of outlet obstruction.

Materials and methods: We reviewed the literature for studies that have used mice as models for outlet obstruction.

Results: The combination of genetic manipulations and cellular physiology defines state-of-the-art experiments that explore the reciprocal mesenchymal-epithelial interactions that regulate bladder cell mechanisms.

Conclusions: The use of transgenic mice in bladder research has provided important data with respect to the molecular signals that drive bladder development, homeostasis, and the response to injury.