A human mini-bladder shows the culprit of recurrent infections

A human mini-bladder shows the culprit of recurrent infections

Researchers at EPFL, Heidelberg University and Roche have built a human mini-bladder to show how urine composition weakens bladder tissue, helping infections recur even after antibiotics. The work was led by John McKinney (EPFL) Matthias Lütolf (Roche Institute of Human Biology/EPFL), and Vivek Thacker (Heidelberg University) and is now published in Nature Communications.

Human mini-bladder reveals mechanism that promotes recurrent urinary tract infections

Researchers in bioengineering and human biology have developed a groundbreaking miniature human bladder model capable of reproducing the complex interactions between urine, bladder tissue, and bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates how the composition of urinary fluid can weaken the bladder barrier and facilitate the persistence of recurrent bacterial infections—a public h…