We need outstanding young researchers and clinicians – they are the future! Therefore, we are excited to advertise the Swiss Continence Foundation Award which comes with a prize money of CHF 10’000.00 and will be awarded annually at the INUS Annual Congress to the best contribution of a young Neuro-Urology talent. For more details please check https://www.swisscontinencefoundation.ch/award/intro/detail.asp?IDinfo=79.
The world’s leading experts in Neuro-Urology met in Zürich, Switzerland, from 25-28 January 2018 at the 6th International Neuro-Urology Meeting (INUM) and provided an overview on the latest advances in research and clinical practice of this rapidly developing and exciting discipline. The INUM, organized under the umbrella of the Swiss Continence Foundation (www.swisscontinencefoundation.ch), is the official annual congress of the International Neuro-Urology Society (INUS, www.neuro-uro.org), a charitable, non-profit organization aiming to promote all areas of Neuro-Urology at a global level. This unique meeting combines state-of-the-art lectures, lively panel discussions, and hands-on workshops with emphasis placed on interactive components. In addition, there are many opportunities to exchange thoughts, experiences and ideas and also to make new friendship.
An important aim of the Swiss Continence Foundation (www.swisscontinencefoundation.ch) and International Neuro-Urology Society (INUS, www.neuro-uro.org) is the promotion of the next generation of outstanding young researchers and clinicians who represent the future of Neuro-Urology. Therefore, the prestigious Swiss Continence Foundation Award of 10’000 Swiss francs was awarded for the 5th time to the best contribution from a young Neuro-Urology talent who presented the current yet unpublished research at the young talents session of the INUM on Saturday 27 January. This year, An-Sofie Goessaert from Ghent, Belgium, convinced the international jury with the presentation of her project entitled “Nocturnal polyuria in spinal cord injury patients and the effect of conservative measures on urine production” and reached the highest scoring. She demonstrated in a prospective study on patients with spinal cord injury that compressive stockings have an effect on nocturnal urine production, increasing diuresis during daytime and decreasing it during sleep to nearly normal bladder capacity, which might allow to have undisturbed sleep and higher quality of life.
Swiss Continence Foundation Award Winner 2018 An-Sofie Goessaert (middle), Chairman of the Foundation Board Thomas M. Kessler (left) and Vice-Chairman of the Foundation Board Ulrich Mehnert (right).
Three of many other highlights were the “Nightmare session”, the state-of-the-art lecture by Karel Everaert on “Nocturia and nocturnal polyuria” and the surgery in motion presentation by Urs E. Studer on “Cystectomy”.
The Icon of Swiss Urology, Urs E. Studer (middle) with the INUM organising committee Ulrich Mehnert (left) and Thomas M. Kessler (right).
Finally, we are delighted to announce the 7th International Neuro-Urology Meeting to be held in Zürich, 24-27 January 2019. Save the date! For details please visit: www.swisscontinencefoundation.ch. We are looking forward to seeing you in Zürich!
Ulrich Mehnert & Thomas M. Kessler
Neurogenic urinary tract, sexual and bowel dysfunction is highly prevalent and affects the lives of millions of people worldwide. It has a major impact on quality of life and, besides the debilitating manifestations for patients, it also imposes a substantial economic burden on every healthcare system.
It was a great honour and pleasure to organize the 5th International Neuro-Urology Meeting (INUM), which took place from 25-28 January 2017, in Zürich, Switzerland. We are proud to announce that the International Neuro-Urology Meeting, organized under the umbrella of the Swiss Continence Foundation (www.swisscontinencefoundation.ch), has become the official annual congress of the International Neuro-Urology Society (INUS, www.neuro-uro.org), a charitable, non-profit organization aiming to promote all areas of Neuro-Urology at a global level and whose inauguration was inspired during the last INUMs.
The world’s leading experts in Neuro-Urology provided an overview on the latest advances in research and clinical practice of this rapidly developing and exciting discipline. This unique meeting combined state-of-the-art lectures, lively panel discussions, and hands-on workshops with emphasis placed on interactive components. There were many opportunities to exchange thoughts, experiences and ideas and also to make new friendship.
The Swiss Continence Foundation Award: To promote the next generation of outstanding young researchers and clinicians who represent the future of Neuro-Urology, the prestigious Swiss Continence Foundation Award of 10’000 Swiss francs was awarded to the best contribution from a young Neuro-Urology talent: Marc Schneider from Zürich, Switzerland, convinced the international jury with the presentation of his PhD project “Anti-Nogo-A antibodies as a potential causal treatment for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction after spinal cord injury”. He demonstrated in an animal model that intrathecally applied antibodies against the central nervous system protein Nogo-A which inhibits nerve fibre growth had beneficial effects on lower urinary tract dysfunction in rats with incomplete spinal cord injury by re-establishing a physiological micturition and preventing detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. This effect presumably occurs due to neuronal re-wiring of descending micturition circuits facilitated by the anti-Nogo-A antibodies. Anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy enters currently clinical trials in humans and could become a unique causal treatment option for lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury.
One of many other highlights was the joint presentation of the EAU Secretary General Christopher R. Chapple and the BJUI Editor-in-Chief Prokar Dasgupta on the challenging topic “What should the neuro-urologist learn from the onco-urologist and vice-versa?”
Finally, we are delighted to announce the 6th International Neuro-Urology Meeting to be held in Zürich, 25 to 28 January 2018. Save the date! For details please visit: www.swisscontinencefoundation.ch. We are looking forward to seeing you in Zürich!
Thomas M. Kessler, SCF Chairman and INUS Vice-President
Ulrich Mehnert, SCF Vice-Chairman and INUS Treasurer
