On September 21 and 22, 2004, the Multinational Interstitial Cystitis Association (MICA) convened its Inaugural International Meeting at the Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana in Rome, Italy. Dr. Mauro Cervigni and ICA President, Dr. Vicki Ratner, co-chaired the meeting.

Philip Hanno, MD (USA) and Mauro Cervigni, MD (Italy) address meeting participants.

This truly international gathering was hosted by Italian IC patients, clinicians, and international healthcare industry representatives who were joined by medical researchers and physicians from around the world. MICA’s inaugural meeting featured a dynamic program filled with detailed information on IC research in progress, treatment options, and related diseases, such as vulvar vestibulodynia (vulvar vestibulitis) and irritable bowel syndrome.

MICA is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by Barbara Muendner-Hensen (ICA Germany Founder and President), Dr. Vicki Ratner (ICA USA Founder and President), Loredana Nasta (ICA Italy Founder and President), and Elke Hufnagl (ICA Austria Founder and President).

Tatsuyuki Shimonishi and Tetsuji Asao, PhD of TAIHO Pharmaceutical, with MICA Founding Member, Loredana Nasta.

Founding MICA Medical Advisory Board Members include:
Prof. Dr. Mauro Cervigni, President (Rome, Italy)
Prof. Dr. Roberto Carone (Torino, Italy)
Hofr. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Helmut Madersbacher (Innsbruck, Austria)
Primarius Univ. Doz. Dr. Claus Riedl (Baden, Austria)
Dr. Arndt van Ophoven (Münster, Germany)
Dr. Frank Oberpenning, MD (Bonn, Germany)
Alan Wein, MD (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Philip M. Hanno, MD (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Robert R. Moldwin, MD (New York, New York, USA)
Christopher Payne, MD (Stanford, California, USA)
Tomohiro Ueda, MD (Shiga, Japan)

MICA Founding Members (Left to Right): Juergen Hensen, Barbara Muendner Hensen, and Elke Hufnagl.

MICA’s mission is to increase awareness about IC among medical professionals and the public in countries throughout the world; provide the latest, most comprehensive, and up-to-date information about diagnosis and treatment of IC; promote communication among medical professionals, patients, their families, and friends in countries throughout the world in order to coordinate their efforts; and to raise funds for interstitial cystitis education and research.

Dr. Cervigni, a well known Italian urogynecologist, researcher and IC advocate, worked with Dr. Ratner, Loredana Nasta, Philip Hanno, MD (USA), and Ann Chesnut, ICA Director of Communications, to organize and promote this conference.

Loredana Nasta (left) and Dr. Cervigni (right) receive MICA Achievement Awards from Dr. Ratner (center).

Susan Keay MD, PhD, was the Keynote Speaker of the two-day event. Dr. Keay presented the most recent research on her groundbreaking work with biomarkers for IC. A roundtable discussion focusing on IC from the patients’ perspective was also included in the program. Dr. Ratner, Loredana Nasta, Barbara Muendner-Hensen and Elke Hufnagl presented talks during this session.

The Program and Presenters included:

Day One (September 21, 2004)

Dr. Ratner presents the MICA Achievement Award to Dr. Asao of TAIHO Pharmaceutical.

CURRENT STATUS OF IC RESEARCH
Introductory Remarks – M. Cervigni (Italy), V. Ratner (USA)
What is MICA – L. Nasta (Italy)

MULTINATIONAL IC MEETING OVERVIEW
Chairpersons: P. Hanno (USA), M. Cervigni (Italy)
Japanese Consensus Conference (ICICJ) – T. Ueda (Japan)
Denmark Workshop – J. Nordling (Denmark)
American ICA Meeting – C. Payne (USA)
Monaco ICI Meeting – P. Hanno (USA)

HOW TO DEFINE AN IC PATIENT
Chairman: C. Payne (USA)
Surveys and Potassium Test – C. Riedl (Austria)
Musculo-fascial Pain Mapping – R. Wiygul (USA)
Cystoscopy Under Anesthesia: The Role of the Hydrodistention – F. Oberpenning (Germany)
Proposed Classification of IC – J. Nordling (Denmark)

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GENETICS OF IC
Chairpersons: A. Tubaro (Italy), P. Hanno (USA)
Epidemiology of IC – P. Hanno (USA)
IC and Possible Genetic Involvement – A. Pizzuti (Italy)

CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN
Chairpersons: R. Moldwin (USA), M. De Gennaro (Italy)
IC and Related Pain Syndromes – U. Wesselmann (USA)
Pharmacology of Pain Management – C. Payne (USA)
Role of Intravesical Therapies on IC – P. Hanno (USA)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY ONE: R. Moldwin (USA)

THE "TARGET ORGAN": UROTHELIUM AND NEUROGENIC INFLAMMATION
Chairpersons: J. Nordling (Denmark), M. Lazzeri (Italy)
The Role of Bladder Biopsy: Normal and Histopathological Aspects – M. Fall (Sweden)
The Role of GAG – G. Hohlbrugger (Austria)
Neuroplasticity and Bladder Inflammation – N. Yoshimura (USA)
Altered Micturition Reflexes and IC – J. Wyndaele (Belguim)

MICA Keynote Speaker, Susan Keay, MD, PhD, presents her latest research findings.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Urinary Markers in IC – S. Keay (USA)

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS AND OTHER PELVIC CONDITIONS
Chairpersons: D. Porru (Italy), H. Madersbacher (Austria)
Vestibulodynia – L. Micheletti (Italy)
Overlap in Urologic Aspects in IC – R. Carone (Italy)
Overlap of Gynecologic Aspects in IC – M. Karram (USA)
Disorders of Bowel Function and IC – E. Corazziari (Italy)

Dr. Keay, Dr. Ratner, and Dr. Whitmore taking a break from the conference to visit Rome's famous Spanish Steps.

ROUND TABLE
What Helps and What Hurts?
Chairperson: V. Ratner (USA)
IC and Pain: V. Ratner (USA)
Psychological Aspects of IC – E. Hufnagl (Austria)
What Helps and What Hurts? – B. Muendner-Hensen (Germany)
IC and Sexual Function – L. Nasta (Italy)

THERAPIES
Chairpersons: M. Fall (Sweden), K. Whitmore (USA)

Traditional
Systemic Treatments of IC – A. van Ophoven (Germany)
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction – R. Moldwin (USA)

Innovative
Sacral Nerve Stimulation – M. Cervigni (Italy)
IPD-1151T – T. Ueda (Japan)
Comprehensive Pelvic Pain Clinics – K. Whitmore (USA)

Closing Remarks
Chairpersons: M. Cervigni (Italy), V. Ratner (USA)

MICA’s inaugural meeting also included a poster session and a small exhibit area, including exhibits by Bioniche and Cystomedix.

Generous support for this meeting was provided by our corporate partners: Taiho Pharmaceuticals, Ortho-McNeil, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, AkPharma, Inc., Bioniche, Desert Harvest, Edwards Lifesciences, Farr Labs, Medtronic Inc., Pfizer and Cystomedix.

MICA would particularly like to extend their thanks to Gold Level Sponsor, Taiho Pharmaceuticals, without whose generous support this meeting would not have been possible.