Research Faculty Research Projects Clinical Trials Funding Home
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Division Chief
Jerome P. Richie, M.D.
Welcome to the Division ofUrology's Research Web Site. Urology at Brigham and Women's Hospital is committed to its research endeavors, particularly where state-of-the-art molecular biology is used and applied to foster a better understanding of urologic diseases, such as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), urologic cancers and chronic conditions, such as prostatitis and interstitial cystitis (IC).
I invite you to learn more about our faculty research interests, current projects, funding sources, and recent publications.
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Research Faculty
Please click on research faculty to learn more about his research interests, current projects, recent publications, funding sources, and contact information.
Kevin R. Loughlin, M.D.
Brian Liu, Ph.D.
Michael O' Leary, M.D., M.P.H.
Jerome P. Richie, M.D., Chief
Graeme Steele, M.D.
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Research Projects
Screening and early detection of cancer
The team has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and NIDDK, and is one of six sites in a consortium to identify potential biomarkers that can distinguish benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) from prostate cancer and normal prostate.
Risk categories for prostate cancer patients
Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed patients with prostate cancer who have had radical prostatectomies, as well as those who have had external beam radiation therapy. Patients have been subclassified into risk categories in order to compare treatment modalities and introduce adjuvant therapies for higher risk patients. This work has been validated and published in numerous scientific papers.
Providing chemotherapy prior to surgery for locally advanced prostate cancer patients
Patients with more advanced local disease, such as seminal vesical involvement, fare poorly with local therapy only. The team is working to eradicate established micrometastatic disease by using neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Analyzing the use of fish oil concentrates prior to removal of the prostate
Dietary studies from the Harvard School of Public Health suggest that patients who consume fish on a more regular basis have a lower incidence of metastatic aggressive prostate cancer. Reduced levels of certain omega fatty acids have been found in the prostates with prostate cancer compared to those prostates that do not harbor prostate cancer. Thus, Urology at Brigham and Women's Hospital is evaluating whether consuming fish oil concentrates prior to prostate surgery will have an impact on the patient.
Use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for MR directed biopsies
The Brigham and Women's Urology team is working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology to determine whether OCT will provide the ability to visualize a greater area of the prostate, thereby enhancing the yield of prostate biopsies to detect malignancy.
Use of MR guidance to freeze small kidney tumors
The Urology group is collaborating with GU Radiology in a study to use MR guidance to freeze small kidney tumors in lieu of surgery. The preliminary results have been quite favorable, and we expect that selected patients will respond well to this treatment.
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Clinical Trials
Urology is proud to sponsor the following clinical trials:
Chronic prostatitis collaborative clinical studies to better define the condition chronic prostatitis (CP) or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) and begin clinical trials to offer effective therapy for CP.
A multicenter, randomized clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of Oral Cipro, Oral Flomax, and the combination of Oral Cipro and Oral Flomax for the treatment of CP and CPPS.
A double blind randomized parallel group study to assess the efficacy of Alfuzosin 10mg once daily in the management of acute urinary retention associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Investigational plan for a prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing the use of the SpannerTMTemporary Prostatic Stent to standard practice to manage lower urinary tract symptoms and voiding dysfunction after transurethral microwave thermal therapy in men with BPH.
Study to investigate the social and psychosocial determinants of pain in chronic prostatitis patients.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to radical prostatectomy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer.
Participation in Prostate Cancer SPORE (specialized program of research excellence) in conjunction with Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Programs include molecular basis of prostate cancer, tissue bank collection for analysis, and discovery of novel mechanisms for prostate cancer treatment.
A prostate immobilization study that utilizes an intra-rectal balloon to immobilize and localize the prostate permitting higher doses of radiation to be delivered safely to the prostate.
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Funding
Division of Urology is grateful to the following organizations for their funding support.
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