Review article: The molecular era of bladder research. Transgenic mice as experimental tools in the study of outlet obstruction.

PURPOSE: To review the crucial role of transgenic mice as experimental tools in the study of outlet obstruction.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We reviewed the literature for studies that have used mice as models for outlet obstruction.

RESULTS

The combination of genetic manipulations and cellular physiology defines state-of-the-art experiments that explore the reciprocal mesenchymal-epithelial interactions that regulate bladder cell mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of transgenic mice in bladder research has provided important data with respect to the molecular signals that drive bladder development, homeostasis, and the response to injury.