Unravelling the cellular and molecular mechanisms of loin pain hematuria syndrome

Loin pain-hematuria syndrome (LPHS) is a rare human disease with a reported prevalence of 12 per 100,000. It is predominantly observed in women with the age at symptom onset ranging from the first to sixth decade of life, with most patients being in late 20s or early 30s. The characteristic feature of LPHS is unrelenting loin pain and presence of blood in urine. In most cases, the pain is so intense that the patients have to quit their jobs, require anti-depressants, go on long-term disability, and many contemplate suicide. LPHS imposes a significant health and economic impact in terms of loss of productivity and quality of life in a young population as these patients are shuffled among numerous health care providers in search of a diagnosis. Due to inadequate understanding of what causes LPHS, the goal of management has been limited to symptomatic pain relief using narcotics, which in many cases leads to opioid dependency. In this first genomic based study on LPHS patients, we aim to understand the origin of pain in LPHS patients, thus, eventually guiding the development of precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Faculty Supervisor:

Christopher Yost;Matthew Lanktree

Student:

Partner:

Goyal Holdings Ltd

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Regina

Program: