Personalized digital twin to guide bladder treatment for prostate-related blockage
A Digital Twin for Designing Bladder Treatment informed by Bladder Outlet Obstruction Mechanobiology (BOOM)
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11161622
This project builds a personalized computer model of the bladder to help choose better treatments for men with enlarged prostates that block urine flow.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11161622 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
I would get a personalized computer 'digital twin' of my bladder that simulates how it fills and empties and how the bladder wall changes over time from prostate-related obstruction. The team will combine 3-D anatomical imaging, lab studies of bladder cell and tissue mechanics, and multi-scale computer simulations to recreate the bladder's behavior during weeks to months of obstruction. Using these simulations they plan to test how different treatments or timing might restore normal bladder function without putting patients through ineffective surgery. Some work may use animal or tissue experiments to inform the models while clinical data and imaging anchor the models to real patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) causing bladder outlet obstruction who have lower urinary tract symptoms or are considering prostate surgery.
Not a fit: People whose urinary problems come from non-BPH causes (for example neurogenic bladder or infection), and women, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors pick treatments that more reliably relieve urinary symptoms and reduce the number of ineffective prostate surgeries.
How similar studies have performed: Digital twin and biomechanical modeling have been successful in heart research, but a full 3-D bladder digital twin for BOO is largely new and untested in clinical care.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ROBERTSON, ANNE MARIE — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: ROBERTSON, ANNE MARIE
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 below.