Chemical Clues in Chronic Pelvic Pain

Metabolomic Signatures of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

NIH-funded research Washington University · NIH-11143622

This project looks for unique chemical patterns in the body that could help us better understand and treat chronic pelvic pain in men and women.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWashington University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Saint Louis, United States)
Project IDNIH-11143622 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS) causes severe symptoms like urinary urgency, frequency, and pain for millions of people. We don't fully understand what causes these symptoms, which makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. This project uses advanced techniques to find specific chemical signals in human samples from a large research network. By identifying these unique chemical patterns, we hope to uncover different types of UCPPS and develop new ways to diagnose and treat this condition.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients experiencing chronic urologic pain disorders such as interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) or chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) are the focus of this research.

Not a fit: Patients without symptoms of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome would not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new diagnostic tests and more effective treatments tailored to specific types of chronic pelvic pain.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work by this team has already identified elevated levels of a specific steroid in a subgroup of female UCPPS patients, suggesting this approach has promise.

Where this research is happening

Saint Louis, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions C syndromeChronic pain syndrome
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.