[UKGD Roster]

The Urologic and Kidney Development and Genitourinary Diseases [UKGD] study section reviews grant applications concerning normal and abnormal development of the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system and physiologic and pathophysiologic processes of cells and tissues of the bladder, prostate, ureter, urethra, male reproductive organs, penis and male and female pelvic floor.  This encompasses: 1) responses of uroepithelial tissues and cells to infectious bacteria and other pathologic insults; 2) mechanisms of renal stone formation and prevention; 3) normal development of the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system; 4) normal and pathophysiological processes of the urinary tract and male genital system; 5) application of new technologies and methodologies to the diagnosis and treatment of urologic diseases; 6) novel approaches to regeneration and tissue engineering of the kidney, urinary tract and male genital system; and 7) clinical assessment of genitourinary diseases including urinary incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction. 

Specific areas covered by UKGD: 

• Development, cell growth, differentiation, aging, and pre-neoplastic conditions in the kidney and the urinary tract and male genital system. This includes: genetic and environmental mechanisms controlling growth, differentiation, and development (including the embryonic origin, commitment, differentiation, and fate) of all cell types in the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system; cell and tissue interactions that regulate organ development; inductive mechanisms of tissue and organ development; lineage determination; pattern formation; morphogens, cytokines, hormones, and cell cycle mechanisms that control normal and abnormal growth and differentiation; nuclear and mitochondrial mechanisms responsible for aging; and signals underlying senescence.
  
  
• Responses to, and consequences of, microbial infection and inflammation in the urinary tract and male genital system. This includes proposals to elucidate the molecular basis of acute and recurrent urinary tract infections.  Included are studies that focus on: 1) understanding the mechanism by which inflammatory processes of the urinary tract and male genital system relate to disease; and 2) understanding the molecular and cellular consequences of host-pathogen interactions (including E. coli and other microbial pathogens) and inflammatory processes in the urinary tract including angiogenesis, signaling pathways, apoptosis, and innate immune responses.  Diseases include urinary tract infection, interstitial cystitis, prostatitis, pyelonephritis, and local inflammatory responses. 
  
  
• Divalent ion metabolism/stones. This area relates to mechanisms of stone formation (including metabolic dysregulation, etiologic agents and divalent cations); natural inhibitors of stone formation; stone detection, treatment and prevention; and effects of stone treatment on cells of the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system.
  
  
•  Function and dysfunction of the bladder, ureter, and urethra. This includes: basic and preclinical studies of hypertrophic muscle growth; contractile dysfunction; effects of aging; prostatic hyperplasia and obstruction; pediatric conditions (such as posterior urethral valve disorders, obstructive uropathy, vesico-ureteral reflux and bladder exstrophy); pelvic pain syndromes; neurogenic syndromes; spinal cord influences on bladder function and feedback regulation; cell and tissue interactions; and signal transduction mechanisms as they relate to urologic diseases or conditions.
  
  
• Function and dysfunction of the prostate. This includes: basic and preclinical studies of the relationship between pre-neoplastic conditions and frank neoplasia; development and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia; stroma-epithelial interactions and cell signaling; signal transduction mechanisms as they relate to prostate cell growth and survival (including steroid-mediated signaling mechanisms); and cell-matrix interactions.
  
  
•  Male and female incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction.  This area relates to the problems of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse and organ, tissue, cellular, and molecular mechanisms affecting incontinence and pelvic organ function.  It includes studies of: normal structure, function and biomechanics as applied to the urethra, bladder and their supporting tissues.  Studies of smooth and striated muscles, connective tissue, and nerves supplying the pelvic floor are considered relevant, as are studies of normal development, injuries sustained during childbirth, and deterioration that occurs with age and disease. 
  
  
• Male reproductive tract.  This area includes basic and clinical studies related to normal and abnormal function of the testis, epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles.  Studies of the effects of disease, environment, and pharmacologic agents on these organs are included.
  
  
• Sexual dysfunction.  This area includes basic and preclinical studies of both female and male normal sexual function and dysfunction (e.g., erectile dysfunction or anorgasmia) as well as the effects of: disease (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), toxic environments (e.g., cigarette smoking), and licit and illicit drugs on sexual function.
  
  
• Cell and gene therapy of the kidney or genitourinary tract. This area includes technologies, animal models, and human studies that utilize cell and gene therapy to alter or repair abnormal functions of the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system.
  
  
• Regeneration and tissue engineering of the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system.  This area includes: 1) stem cell biology and cellular therapeutics as they relate to the kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system (including differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells into the various kidney, urinary tract, and male genital system cell types); 2) artificial scaffolding, biopolymers, and vector systems to generate specific tissues and/or organs, epithelial and vascular repair and remodeling in response to injury; and 3) novel cell and gene therapies.
  
  
• Clinical research and outcomes. This includes: investigator-initiated clinical trials and other human research studies that involve urologic diseases and disorders.Molecular and cell biology of bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament injury and repair.
  
  
• Application of novel technologies to studies of the genitourinary tract. This includes the application of new technologies (including proteomics, microarrays and nanotechnology) to characterize disease states; develop and validate new clinical, diagnostic, or prognostic tests; and evaluate treatment outcomes.

UKGD has the following shared interests within the RUS IRG:

• With Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Kidney [CMBK]: Applications related to abnormal transport systems and membrane biology related to mineral balance could be assigned to CMBK.  Applications related to pathogenesis of stone formation, the effects of stones, and their treatment could be assigned to UKGD. 
  
  
• With Pathobiology of Kidney Disease [PBKD]: (1) Problems of divalent ion metabolism and stone formation following renal transplantation could be reviewed by PBKD if the application emphasizes renal physiology or pathology. Applications designed to resolve post-transplant obstructive complications, bladder reconstruction, kidney stone formation or other urological issues could be reviewed by UKGD.  (2) In general, these studies will be assigned to UKGD except when the lower urinary tract is involved in a disorder affecting the kidney, and for which PBKD has specific expertise (e.g., vasculitic syndromes, systemic lupus erythematosus).

UKGD has the following shared interests outside the RUS IRG:

• With the Biological Chemistry and Macromolecular Biophysics [BCMB] IRG: Studies examining divalent metal metabolism that address questions directly relevant to the physiology or pathology of the genitourinary tract are appropriate for UKGD.  Studies designed to address general metallobiochemistry or divalent metal metabolism not directly related to genitourinary tract function] may be considered under the auspices of the BCMB IRG.  Studies of metalloproteinases in genitourinary organ physiology or pathophysiology could be assigned to UKGD.  If the structure/function of metalloproteinases is the main focus, the BCMB IRG could be assigned the application.  In general, studies of genitourinary tract structure and function that use primarily biophysical techniques (e.g., X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy/image reconstruction, electron spin resonance, and single molecular techniques) would be assigned to the BCMB IRG.
  
  
• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG:  Studies directed at therapeutic approaches to genetic disease(s) of the kidney or genitourinary tract, including gene and protein replacement therapy, could be assigned to the UKGD.  Assignment could be to the GGG IRG if the question(s) addressed are applicable to multiple diseases or organ systems, or if the study involves an emerging approach for which expertise resides only in the GGG IRG.
  
  
• With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG: (1) The BDA IRG may be assigned applications on basic, early developmental mechanisms involved in formation of organ primordia.  Development of organs such as the bladder, kidney or prostate may be assigned to UKGD.  Studies involving differentiation of kidney physiology or the physiology and function of other developed organs (such as the bladder or prostate) may also be assigned to UKGD. Overlapping interests with BDA IRG may include stem cells, apoptosis, and regulation of cell cycle. (2) Studies primarily focused on a single organ or system, such as the renal or urological systems, or a specific disease in which age-related interactions or changes of function are a minor or secondary component could be assigned to UKGD.  Studies in which the focus is aging, particularly those that transcend single organ systems or disciplines, could be assigned to BDA
  
  
• With the Bioengineering Sciences and Technologies [BST] IRG: (1) Applications focused on specific kidney or genitourinary stem cell or gene transfer therapies are relevant to UKGD.  Applications focused on developing stem cell and gene transfer technologies to introduce genes and drugs in a general context are relevant to BST IRG. (2) Applications focused on the use of genomic or proteomic data in characterizing genitourinary tract diseases or developing diagnostic or prognostic tests for these diseases could be assigned to PBKD.  If the primary focus is combining experimental validation and modeling technology or related analyses of biological data (i.e., bioinformatics), or basic methodology for data management and analysis, assignment could be to the BST IRG. (3) Applications that use nanotechnology for genitourinary tract diagnostic procedures may be assigned to UKGD.  Where the dominant emphasis of the proposal is the technology or instrumentation the proposal may be assigned to BST. (4) Applications focused on the use of medical implant materials for genitourinary tract disorders and dysfunctions may be assigned to UKGD. Applications on general biocompatibility and new material development could be assigned to the BST IRG.
  
  
• With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG:  Applications on the complex epidemiology of renal or urology health or disease should be assigned to the HOP IRG.  
  
  
• With the Immunology [IMM] IRG:  Studies of inflammatory processes or innate immunity when the focus is on urinary tract function could be assigned to UKGD.   When the focus is on the immune system assignment could be to the IMM IRG.
  
  
• With the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology [IDM] IRG: Studies of microbial genetics, bacteriology and investigations focused on urologically pathogenic microbes could be assigned to the IDM IRG.  Basic and clinical studies focused on understanding the functional consequences of such host-pathogen interactions and how they relate to outcome, clinical syndromes, or host responses could be assigned to UKGD.
  
  
• With the Oncological Sciences [ONC] IRG: Investigation of malignant transformation and progression focused on mechanisms applicable to neoplastic processes in general, could be assigned to the ONC IRG.  Applications focused on malignant transformation or progression in the context of urinary tract or kidney development or disease, or comparisons of benign and malignant cells of kidney, urinary tract, or male genital system for the purpose of understanding normal or benign processes in these organs could be assigned to UKGD.  In addition, certain genes and their products are involved in both neoplastic and developmental process (e.g. WT1 and VHL). Therefore, certain applications that focus on the role of such genes on kidney or urogenital gene regulation, or on normal or abnormal development of the kidney, urinary tract, or male genital system could be assigned to UKGD.  When applications focus on the role of such genes in neoplasia they could be assigned to the ONC IRG.
  
  
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG:  There is shared interest between three study sections, the Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology (MCE) and the Cellular, Molecular and Integrative Reproductive Sciences (CMIR) in the EMNR IRG, and UKGD.  The areas of shared interest include male reproductive biology and the male reproductive tract, including the prostate.  The perspective of the applicant should determine assignment, but in general, the central focus of applications reviewed in CMIR is on reproductive competency (e.g., the role of prostatic fluids in sperm motility), while the focus of UKGD is urology (e.g., Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), including its effect on urinary tract function), and the focus in MCE is on fundamental mechanisms of hormone action (e.g., mechanisms of testosterone signal transduction as found in the prostate).  An application on the non-cancer prostate can be reviewed in any one of at least three study sections depending on the primary focus.  Similarly, while CMIR will review the full spectrum of reproductive sciences, including cellular, molecular and clinical studies, UKGD could review research in clinical urology, particularly in the areas of male infertility and sexual function. 
  
  
• With the Musculoskeletal, Oral and Skin Sciences [MOSS] IRG: Basic research studies of the development or mechanism of action of bone, muscle and connective tissue could be assigned to the MOSS IRG.  Studies of the role of bone, muscle and connective tissue in normal or pathological states of the urological system could be assigned to UKGD.
  
  
• With the Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging, and Bioengineering [SBIB] IRG:   Applications can be referred to UKGD when the emphasis is on using imaging systems to obtain structural or functional information, or used in diagnosis or therapy, of the genitourinary track.  When the emphasis of an application is on the design, development or validation of medical imaging systems, their components, or software, assignment could be to the SBIB IRG.  Studies involving tissue engineering could be referred to UKGD or the SBIB IRG depending on the focus of the study, with UKGD focused on specific applications to the genitourinary track.  When the emphasis is on the integration of physical, chemical, mathematical or engineering principles in the design and development of engineered constructs assignment could be to the SBIB IRG.
  
  
•  With the Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neuroscience [IFCN] IRG:  There is a shared interest in neuronal mechanisms of pain in conditions such as interstitial cystitis and prostatitis.  Applications focusing on the encoding or modulation of pain in the nervous system could be assigned to the IFCN IRG.  Applications on the central nervous system regulation of urological function where pain is not the central focus could be assigned to UKGD.
  
  
• With the Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience [BDCN] IRG:  Applications may be assigned to BDCN if neurogenic bladder or other bladder problems are secondary to spinal cord injury.  Other aspects of central nervous system regulation of urological function where pain is not the central focus could be assigned to UKGD.