# Neuroimmune Interface in Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $634,280

## Abstract

Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS) is a debilitating urologic condition characterized by
bladder/pelvic pain and urinary symptoms such as urgency and frequency. Treating UCPPS remains a serious
challenge for clinicians in part because the mechanisms of the disease are not well understood. This challenge
is even greater when patients have pain outside the pelvis and/or comorbid pain syndromes, as the central
nervous system (CNS) may play a significant role in their symptoms, a phenomenon we term “centralized” pain.
The Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network was initiated in
response to these challenges. In a site-specific study conducted during first phase of MAPP, we showed that
when immune cells isolated from UCPPS patients are stimulated ex vivo, the resulting inflammatory response
distinguishes patients with localized pain from those with a more widespread pain presentation. In the second
phase of MAPP, samples of stimulated whole blood have been collected on the vast majority of patients in
conjunction with functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI), psychophysical sensory testing,
and a comprehensive battery of patient reported outcomes. However, as the second phase of MAPP draws to
a close, funding is not available to analyze these stimulated samples. In the current project, we propose to
complete this critical work and elucidate how inflammation influences the CNS in UCPPS. We have assembled
a team of MAPP investigators and added expertise in clustering and classification bioinformatics in order to
address three scientific aims. AIM 1: Validate the inflammatory phenotype of UCPPS. (A) We will replicate and
extend our previous cross-sectional findings indicating that stimulated inflammatory responses may be able to
classify UCPPS patients with greater clinical evidence of centralized pain (test n = 200, validation n = 200). (B)
We will determine if longitudinal changes in genitourinary symptoms and pain over 18 months are paralleled by
changes in the stimulated inflammatory responses in a subset of these patients (n = 250). AIM 2: Identify a
neurobiological signature of the inflammatory phenotype using fcMRI and psychophysical sensory testing. (A)
We will conduct cross-sectional analyses to identify neurobiological correlates of the inflammatory phenotype
(test n = 200, validation n = 200). (B) We will create longitudinal models to determine if identified fcMRI and
psychophysical outcomes co-vary with inflammation over time (n = 250). AIM 3: Identify biotypes of UCPPS
using combined inflammatory, neuroimaging, psychophysical, and clinical data. We will use bioinformatics
techniques including canonical correlation analysis and hierarchical clustering to attempt to define unique, latent,
biotypes of UCPPS. We hypothesize that these biotypes will reflect different clinical phenotypes and may be
useful for predicting treatment responses. The impact of these studies is th...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9862158
- **Project number:** 1R01DK123164-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Steven Edward Harte
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $634,280
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-01-22 → 2024-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9862158

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9862158, Neuroimmune Interface in Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (1R01DK123164-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9862158. Licensed CC0.

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