752434P2Y4 cell lineClosedVouchersInnovate UKThe bladder is an often overlooked organ, but is vital in storing urine and dissolved waste products so that we can conveniently dispose of it at a later date. Disorders of the bladder can be severely debilitating causing significant reductions in quality of life and many, such as painful bladder syndrome, do not have any effective therapies. The bladder is lined by specialised urothelial cells that are a critical for maintaining permeability barrier to urine and are the first line of defence against pathogens. It has only recently been recognised that they play an active role in maintaining this function through self-repair and co-ordinating interactions with other tissue compartments. These functions are thought to be achieved through the actions of numerous receptors and and channels and through this grant we are aiming to develop systems that will allow us to further study this biology by identifying novel, specific chemical probes for one of these targets. As well as enabling us to study the biology of the urothelium in more detail, we hope that some of the compounds we will identify could be used as the basis for novel drugs and potential therapeutics.