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. 2025 Sep 2;135(17):e197858.
doi: 10.1172/JCI197858.

Microbiota in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: evidence and opportunities

Microbiota in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: evidence and opportunities

David J Klumpp. J Clin Invest. .
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The author declares US patents (20190360024-A1 and 10316368-B2) for diagnosing and treating pelvic pain at the level of gut microbiota.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Gut microbiota’s influence on IC symptoms and clinical importance.
(A) Visceral convergence of bladder and gut sensory pathways mediate organ crosstalk and the bladder-gut-brain axis. Gut dysbiosis in IC may directly influence sensory pathways, or microbial constituents (LPS and peptidoglycan [PG]) and metabolites in circulation can influence pain circuits centrally via microglia. (B) Dysbiosis-associated immune dysregulation may impact IC pathology by altering the inflammatory milieu and thus affect bladder mast cells and/or Hunner’s lesions. (C) Microglia are potential therapeutic targets for IC by use of drugs that act directly or indirectly.

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