The Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction held its annual Winter Meeting February 22 through February 26, 2022. The hybrid meeting included a robust assortment of presentations spanning a comprehensive basic/translational science program chaired by Larissa V. Rodriguez, MD, FPMRS (co-chair, John E. Speich, PhD) and an in-depth clinical program (co-chairs, David A. Ginsberg, MD and W. Stuart Reynolds, MD, MPH, FACS). Sandip P. Vasavada, MD, President of the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction, presided over the meeting.

The basic and translational science program included 2 keynote speakers. First, Stuart Brierley, PhD gave a presentation titled “Bladder Afferents: Mechanisms Underlying Activation and Sensitization of Nociceptive Pathways.” Dr. Brierley characterized afferent nerves based on morphology and their firing patterns, casting doubt on the traditional paradigm of only C fibers causing nociception in the bladder. He also discussed various mechanisms contributing to sensitization of bladder afferent nerves, the effects of uropathogenic Escherichia coli on afferent firing and the role of cross-organ sensitization in causing bladder dysfunction. Second, Min Dong, PhD discussed “New Frontiers in Therapeutic Toxins for Urologic Disease.” Dr. Dong presented his work on developing novel strategies to improve the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxins. He demonstrated the use of knock-in mice to establish the role of toxin receptors in vivo, explained how engineered botulinum toxins can improve targeting to human receptors and described the use of inactive botulinum toxin as a delivery tool to reverse paralysis.

Michel A. Pontari, MD moderated a panel titled “Neuro-Immune Interactions in the Lower Urinary Tract.” In this panel, Pedro L. Vera, PhD presented on “MIF/HMGB1 Signaling in Bladder Pain,” Indira Mysorekar, PhD described the “Effect of Aging on Immune Activity” and Praveen Thumbikat, DVM, MS, PhD discussed “Neuro-Immune Interactions in Chronic Pelvic Pain.”

The Early Investigator Spotlight was moderated by A. Lenore Ackerman, MD, PhD. First, Evgenly I. Kreydin, MD talked about “CNS to Control the Bladder: From Peripheral Nerves to the Brain.” Second, Haeyeong Lee, PhD described the “Functional Identification of Detrusor Interstitial Cells: PDGFRa+ Cells.” Third, Ali Hashemi Gheinani, MSc, PhD discussed “Lessons Learned from Integrated Omics Analysis of Neurogenic Bladder Models.” Finally, Lisa A. Karstens, PhD talked about “Rethinking the Role of Bacteria in the Bladder in Overactive Bladder and Urinary Incontinence.”

Martin Michel, MD led the panel “Making Sense of Sensory GPCRs in the Lower Urinary Tract.” In this panel, Stuart Brierley, PhD discussed “Itch Receptors on Afferent Nerves Induce Bladder Hypersensitivity,” Jennifer L. Pluznick, PhD presented “Olfactory Receptors, Taste Receptors, Opsins in Bladder” and Klaus Deckmann, PhD described “Bitter Receptors on Urethral Brush Cells.”

A panel titled “Neuromodulation of Spinal/Central Neural Networks for Treating LUT Disorders” was moderated by Larissa V. Rodriguez, MD, FPMRS. In this panel, Jason J. Kutch, PhD presented on “Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Brain Centers Controlling Pelvic Floor Muscles for the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain,” V. Reggie Edgerton, PhD described “Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation” and Rose Khavari, MD discussed “Transcranial Neuromodulation for Multiple Sclerosis.”

Joonbeom Kwon, MD, PhD, of Daegu Fatima Hospital, South Korea, won the “Basic Science Essay Award” for work titled “Overactive Bladder Medication, How Long Should It Be Sustained?: Mirabegron Interferes with the Central Sensitization Induced by the Mice Model of Overactive Bladder.”

A total of 50 abstracts were accepted for the basic and translational science program and the top 10 abstracts received podium presentations. For the “Basic Science Podium Award,” there was a tie for first place between Anne Verstegen, PhD for work titled “Subpopulations of Neurons of the Pontine Micturition Center Project to Distinct Regions of the Spinal Cord and Play Definite Roles in Lower Urinary Tract Function” and Nicole Roselli, MD, MBA for work titled “Absence of Pannexin 1 Channels Attenuates the Early Effects of Diabetes on Mouse Bladder Function.” Alec Szlachta-McGinn, MD earned third place for work titled “Virulent Urinary Fungal Strains in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Increase Host Inflammatory Response and Induce Urothelial Cell Killing.”

The remaining 40 abstracts were divided among 2 poster sessions. For the first session, Betsy Salazar, PhD won the “Best Poster Award” for “Novel Site-Specific Neuromodulation to Map the Ventral Spinal Circuitry Coordinating the Neural Control of Micturition after Semi-Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.” For the second session, Sarah Maxwell received the “Best Poster Award” for “KV7 Channel Activation Results in Attenuation of Rat Urinary Bladder Smooth Muscle Excitability and Contractility.”