How the protein amphiregulin may cause bladder damage after pelvic radiation
Official title: The role of amphiregulin in mediating radiation cystitis in cancer survivors
Funded at William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst · NIH-11323030 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether a protein called amphiregulin drives the bladder damage some cancer survivors get after pelvic radiation therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Royal Oak, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $460,815 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK135986-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323030 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pelvic cancer survivors who received radiation and now have symptoms of radiation cystitis such as urinary pain, bleeding, frequency, or urgency.
✕Less likely to help
People without prior pelvic radiation or whose bladder problems are caused by other conditions (not radiation cystitis) are unlikely to benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you had radiation to the pelvis and now have bladder pain, bleeding, or urinary problems, this research focuses on a protein called amphiregulin that rises after radiation and may drive that damage. The team uses a laboratory animal model that closely mimics the way human radiation cystitis develops, tracking early urothelial injury and later fibrosis, blood vessel loss, and muscle damage. They measure amphiregulin levels over time, study how it affects bladder tissues, and test approaches to block its harmful effects. The aim is to find biological clues for earlier diagnosis and targets for treatments that could help survivors with radiation-related bladder disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new tests or therapies that prevent or reduce radiation-related bladder injury by targeting amphiregulin.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked amphiregulin to tissue repair and fibrosis, but applying that knowledge specifically to radiation cystitis and targeting it for treatment is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst
Royal Oak, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zwaans, Bernadette Margaretha Maria — William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst
- Study coordinator: Zwaans, Bernadette Margaretha Maria
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.