Pain From UTIs Doesn’t Stop After Antibiotics, New Research Sheds Light on Why

Read about the mechanism involving mast cells and nerve growth factor that’s paving the way for better UTI treatments.
Pain From UTIs Doesn’t Stop After Antibiotics, New Research Sheds Light on Why
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Despite antibiotics knocking out urinary tract infections (UTIs), many people still suffer persistent, miserable symptoms, and doctors don’t know why. But now, researchers may have found the culprit: nerve overgrowth.

By studying mice and human samples, they discovered that repeated UTIs trigger immune cells to release nerve growth factor (NGF), causing new pain nerves to sprout in the bladder.

George Citroner
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.