Urological Systems Function and Dysfunction – KUDS (83)

Topics

• Function of the bladder, ureter, and urethra and dysfunction of these and associated tissues, including conditions such as lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), interstitial cystitis/painful bladder and pelvic pain syndromes, overactive and underactive bladder, obstructive uropathy, diabetic uropathy and neurogenic and non-neurogenic incontinence.
• Uroepithelial cell biology, including mechanisms relevant to normal urological physiology, hormonal and neural regulation of urological function.
• Primary congenital and acquired urological conditions affecting the bladder, ureters, urethra, and genital tracts, and secondary neurogenic conditions such as spina bifida, including development, epidemiology, diagnosis and management.
• Infection and inflammation in the urinary tract, including studies of susceptibility, pathogenesis and treatment of bacterial, viral and fungal infections, and the role of the genitourinary microbiome in health and disease.
• Urolithiasis and nephrolithiasis, including studies of susceptibility, pathogenesis, and treatment of upper and lower urinary tract stones.
• Function and dysfunction of the male and female genitourinary tract, including studies of the prostate and associated non-cancerous conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, physiology of penile erection and the pathophysiology and treatment of erectile dysfunction; pelvic floor tissues in health and disease, including the pathogenesis and treatment of pelvic floor weakness and prolapse with associated bladder and/or bowel incontinence.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests with Kidney Function and Dysfunction [KUDS (82)] regarding conditions affecting both kidney and urological systems. Applications focused primarily on kidney function, development, and kidney-specific disease mechanisms may be reviewed in KUDS (82), whereas applications focused on the urinary tract (ureters, bladder, urethra), male genital tract, and pelvic floor may be reviewed in KUDS (83).

There are shared interests with Pathobiology of Kidney Disease (PBKD) regarding urological complications of kidney disease. Applications that focus on pathophysiological consequences of kidney disease affecting the urological system may be reviewed in PBKD, whereas applications that focus on primary urological dysfunction may be reviewed in KUDS (83). 

There are shared interests with Bacterial-Host Interactions (BHI), which focuses on the molecular basis of bacteria-host interactions and the host immune response, and with Bacterial Virulence (BV), which reviews applications that address determinants of bacterial pathogenesis. Applications with a broader focus on bacterial-host interactions or bacterial virulence mechanisms without specific emphasis on genitourinary systems may be reviewed in BHI or BV. Applications specifically focused on the pathogenesis of genitourinary infections may be reviewed in KUDS (83). 

There are shared interests in urological conditions with Kidney, Endocrine and Digestive Disorders (KEDD). Applications that emphasize the determinants, predictors and biomarkers of urological conditions in human subpopulations may be reviewed in KEDD, whereas applications that emphasize the developmental mechanisms and functions of urological systems in humans may be reviewed in KUDS (83). 

Exclusions:

Applications that focus on frank cancer of the urogenital tract (e.g., prostate cancer or bladder cancer) are reviewed elsewhere.