We examined two types of urinary incontinence, stress and urgency urinary incontinence (SUI and UUI). To assess what was already known about their molecular background, we performed a literature review for both types of urinary incontinence. In addition, we analysed genetic data in combination with literature findings to build ‘molecular landscapes’. From the landscape of SUI, beta-catenin emerged as the most important protein, and other processes in this landscape are epithelial-mesenchymal transition, signalling involving the NANOG protein and female sex hormone signalling. The landscape of UUI showed an important role for APP, a protein that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We demonstrated that APP is indeed present in bladder cells of a patient with urgency urinary incontinence. Through genetic analysis, we also showed that genes associated with AD also contribute to a higher risk of UUI, which provides additional clues about the clinical association between the two diseases.
Wilke Post (1989) obtained her Master’s degree in Medicine in 2015 after which she worked as a resident not in training in gynaecology for several years. In 2018, she started her PhD research at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Radboud university medical center. In April 2023, she will start with her residency in gynaecology.