Epigenetics Mechanism is a Novel Biomarker for an Elusive Bladder Disease

In a recent study researchers identified a novel biomarker for interstitial cystitis (IC) that could potentially aid in diagnosing the disease as well as in developing new treatment therapies for it. Epigenetic mechanisms have been found to play important roles in a variety of health conditions. DNA methylation is the most well characterized epigenetic modification and it typically acts to suppress gene expression. Several studies have implicated aberrant methylation in the etiology of common human disorders such as diabetes, cancer, schizophrenia and the findings were achieved through DNA methylation analysis.

It is a chemical change in the DNA sequence that most commonly occurs at cytosine moiety of CpG dinucleotide and histone, primarily on N- terminal tail that ultimately effect the interaction of gene with chromatin modifying protein. Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes and global hypomethylation of oncogenes are widely studied epigenetic modifications. There are large number of publish reports regarding epigenetic events involving bladder Cancer.

Interstitial Cystitis

It’s a chronic painful bladder condition of which no definable cause can be found. In the globe alone, IC affects between 2-4% of men and 3-6% of women. With a wide range of symptoms and severity is often confused at first with other ailments such as a urinary tract infection, kidney stones, or cancer.

Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic disease of unknown etiology characterized by bladder pain and nonspecific urinary symptoms, such as urgency and frequency. Although it was initially considered to be a rare condition, its prevalence has significantly increased, because of different definitions used and greater physician awareness. Treatment includes supportive therapies (psychosocial, behavioral, physical), oral treatments, and intravesical treatments, whereas other more invasive treatments such as electric neuromodulation and reconstructive surgery are reserved for refractory cases.

A diagnosis is usually made after all other treatable conditions are ruled out. The symptoms of this condition can be so extreme like going to the bathroom as much as 60 times a day  that they negatively impact a person’s social life, sleep, and even their ability to work. In fact, evaluating methylation status has been useful in many studies looking to identify promising diagnostic biomarkers.