@article{3021935,
    title = "Immunotherapy options for painful bladder syndrome: what’s the potential?",
    author = "Mykoniatis, I. and Katafigiotis, I. and Sfoungaristos, S. and Yutkin, V.",
    journal = "Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy",
    year = "2017",
    volume = "17",
    number = "12",
    pages = "1471-1480",
    publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",
    issn = "1471-2598, 1744-7682",
    doi = "10.1080/14712598.2017.1375094",
    keywords = "adalimumab;  BCG vaccine;  cyclosporin A;  immunomodulating agent;  rosiptor;  steroid;  suplatast tosylate;  urinary tract agent;  4-(4-(aminomethyl)-7a-methyl-1-methylideneoctahydro-1H-inden-5-yl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-4-methylcyclohexan-1-ol;  BCG vaccine;  cyclohexanol derivative;  indan derivative;  monoclonal antibody;  nerve growth factor;  tumor necrosis factor, human;  immunopathogenesis;  immunosuppressive treatment;  immunotherapy;  interstitial cystitis;  nonhuman;  Review;  steroid therapy;  systemic therapy;  immunology;  interstitial cystitis;  pathology, Adalimumab;  Antibodies, Monoclonal;  BCG Vaccine;  Cyclohexanols;  Cystitis, Interstitial;  Humans;  Immunotherapy;  Indans;  Nerve Growth Factor;  Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha",
    abstract = "Introduction: Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) is an enigmatic disease characterized by lack of evidence-based knowledge and an ongoing scientific debate regarding its definition, pathogenesis, diagnostic and treatment algorithm. An autoimmune theory for PBS/IC etiology has suggested immunotherapy as a potential treatment choice. Areas covered: In this review, the authors report existing and future immunotherapeutic options, potentially valuable to the management of PBS/IC while evidence for the immunological aspect of PBS/IC pathogenesis are also presented. Relevant data reported in human clinical studies but also in experimental studies using animal PBS/IC models have been reviewed. Expert opinion: Promising data has emerged lately regarding use of immunotherapy drugs for PBS/IC treatment. Specifically, human monoclonal antibodies inhibiting nerve growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-a have shown high efficacy in pain control for PBS/IC. Also, many other agents modulating immunopathways linked to PBS symptom etiology and leading to positive treatment effects have been reported lately mainly in experimental animal studies. Immunotherapy could potentially improve disease-related and patient-reported outcome; nevertheless, lack of consensus regarding PBS/IC diagnostic criteria, leading to high heterogeneity of patients enrolled in PBS/IC treatment studies, and low number of well-designed randomized clinical trials are limitations which must be addressed in the future. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group."
}