{"id":161724,"date":"2026-05-05T13:49:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidneyresearchuk.org\/?p=161724"},"modified":"2026-06-09T13:38:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:38:01","slug":"could-new-treatments-protect-the-kidneys-and-bladder-in-boys-with-posterior-urethral-valves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidneyresearchuk.org\/2026\/05\/05\/could-new-treatments-protect-the-kidneys-and-bladder-in-boys-with-posterior-urethral-valves\/","title":{"rendered":"Could new treatments protect the kidneys and bladder in boys with posterior urethral valves?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t

Posterior urethral valves\u00a0(PUVs)\u00a0can develop in boys before they are born.\u00a0PUVs are\u00a0rare\u00a0and affect\u00a0bladder, with a proportion of boys having kidney damage, and\u00a0some developing kidney failure.\u00a0There is currently no cure for\u00a0PUVs.\u00a0With our support,\u00a0generously co-funded by The Cook Fund,\u00a0of \u00a3245,000, Dr Carolina Bebi\u00a0and her team\u00a0will\u00a0test whether new treatments\u00a0that\u00a0target the lymphatic system of the bladder could protect the kidneys and bladder in\u00a0boys with\u00a0PUVs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

We need new treatments for posterior urethral valves<\/h2>\r\n

Posterior urethral valves are flaps of tissue which cause a blockage in the urethra. The urethra is a tube which carries urine when from where it is stored in the bladder out of the body, so we can wee. When there is a PUV, the flap of tissue blocks the flow of urine causing it to build up in the bladder. This creates pressure inside the bladder, stretching and damaging it. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The blockage in the urethra can be removed by surgery after birth in boys with PUVs. However permanent damage to the bladder has already happened which makes it stiffer and less able to hold urine. This can cause difficulties weeing and lead to infections. These infections can spread to the kidneys. Depending on the amount of damage to the bladder, boys may need surgery to increase how much urine the bladder can hold. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Research is difficult for a rare condition,\u00a0partly because of the limited data available. However\u00a0small studies have shown\u00a0over a third of\u00a0patients\u00a0with PUVs\u00a0go on to develop kidney problems,\u00a0and some of these patients will reach\u00a0kidney failure<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

New targets for treatments\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n

There is currently no cure for PUVs,\u00a0and we\u00a0don’t\u00a0know what causes\u00a0PUVs to develop.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Lymphatic vessels could be a new target to protect the bladder in PUVs. The lymphatic vessels are tiny tubes which remove fluid and waste from our organs. In other organs, such as in the heart, brain and kidney, the lymphatics also help with repair of tissue. However, little is known about the lymphatics of the bladder, including whether they can also help with repair. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

Meet\u00a0Dr Carolina Bebi<\/h2>\r\n

Dr Carolina Bebi is a urologist and works at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Institute of Child Health (ICH) researching the lymphatics of the bladder and whether they can be targeted with treatments in childhood diseases that affect bladder health. <\/p>\r\n

The LifeArc-Kidney Research UK Centre for Rare Kidney Disease<\/a> training fellowship of \u00a3245,000 will mean Carolina and her team can look at the lymphatics of the bladder in PUVs and test whether new treatments can be delivered using gene therapy to improve the lymphatics and health of the bladder. <\/p>\r\n

“Research has shown many roles of the lymphatic system that go beyond draining the tissues of fluid. In organs such as the heart, improving the lymphatics has helped slow the stiffening and build-up of scar tissue seen with tissue damage in certain conditions affecting the heart.<\/p>\r\n

“This process of tissue damage, called fibrosis, also damages the bladder in PUVs. By targeting the bladder lymphatics this type of treatment could help protect the bladder in PUVs.” Dr Carolina Bebi<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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