Beyond the Symptoms is an interview series by Live UTI Free (LUF) that explores the science, solutions, and stories behind pelvic health, UTIs, and chronic urinary infections. Host Melissa Kramer engages in deep conversations with leading medical experts, researchers, and healthcare innovators who share breakthrough insights beyond conventional diagnoses and treatments. Each episode uncovers cutting-edge research on biofilms, embedded infections, antibiotic resistance, and innovative diagnostic approaches while examining how these conditions impact quality of life. Whether you're a patient navigating recurrent UTIs, interstitial cystitis, or chronic pelvic pain, a healthcare practitioner seeking evidence-based approaches, or a curious mind interested in women's health advocacy, this podcast provides actionable information about complex pelvic health conditions. Episodes feature world-renowned urologists, urogynecologists, researc
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What is Beyond the Symptoms | An Expert Interview Series by LUF | Live UTI Free?
Beyond the Symptoms | An Expert Interview Series by LUF | Live UTI Free is a health podcast hosted by LUF | Live UTI Free, with 34 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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LUF | Live UTI Free hosts Beyond the Symptoms | An Expert Interview Series by LUF | Live UTI Free, a health show with 34 episodes published.
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Episode #34
Catheter UTIs, Fibrinogen, and Bladder Cancer Risk | Dr. Ana Flores-Mireles with Live UTI Free
Aug 10, 202656 min
Catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) don't follow the same rules as uncomplicated UTIs, and most patients are never told why. In this episode, host Melissa Kramer, PhD, talks with microbiologist Dr. Ana Flores-Mireles of the University of Notre Dame about how catheterization changes the bladder environment, why the protein fibrinogen becomes a "bed and breakfast" for bacteria and fungi like Candida auris, and how her lab is developing antibiotic-free, slippery catheter coatings to reduce infection and inflammation. She also shares emerging research linking long-term catheterization to bladder cancer markers, and what that could mean for people who rely on catheters long-term. Melissa and Dr. Flores-Mireles cover intermittent vs. indwelling vs. suprapubic catheters, whether D-mannose or probiotics have a role for catheter users, and why comorbidities like clotting disorders may predispose some people to more severe infections. Key Takeaways 1. Catheterization changes the bladder environment. Inflammation brings proteins like fibrinogen into the bladder to heal damage, but pathogens exploit them to attach and grow. Dr. Flores-Mireles calls it "a place to stay and a place to eat." 2. Prevention science is still catching up. CDC guidance recommends changing indwelling catheters every two weeks, but even careful hygiene doesn't guarantee prevention. Firm recommendations aren't possible yet. 3. Antibiotic-free technology is on the horizon. Dr. Flores-Mireles's lab developed a "slippery" catheter coating that blocks pathogen attachment without antimicrobials, and early data shows it also lowers bladder cancer markers. Clinical trials haven't started yet. Links & Resources Dr. Flores-Mireles's faculty page, University of Notre Dame Live UTI Free
Anti-Biofilm Therapy for Chronic UTI | Prof. Begoña Heras and Dr. Jason Paxman with Live UTI Free
Jul 13, 202631 min
If you've been stuck in a cycle of recurrent UTIs that antibiotics can't seem to clear, this episode is for you. Melissa sits down with Professor Bogoña Heras and Dr. Jason Paxman, structural biologists from La Trobe University in Australia and co-founders of BioBreak Therapeutics. They share the science behind a groundbreaking anti-biofilm antibody therapy designed specifically for chronic and recurrent UTIs. Unlike antibiotics, this approach doesn't kill bacteria directly. Instead, it dismantles the protective biofilm structures that allow bacteria like uropathogenic E. coli to hide, persist, and resist treatment. With new grant funding secured and preclinical research underway, human trials could be on the horizon within two years. Key Takeaways Biofilms are the missing piece of the chronic UTI puzzle. Bacteria use a surface protein called antigen 43 to stick together and hide inside the bladder. BioBreak's therapy dismantles this structure, removing the protective coating so the immune system and antibiotics can clear the infection. This therapy is designed for people who have run out of options. It targets chronic and recurrent UTI, including multi-antibiotic resistant cases. It may also work as a monotherapy for people who can no longer tolerate antibiotics at all. Patient testimonials helped make this research happen. Over 350 stories from the Live UTI Free and Chronic UTI Australia communities supported BioBreak's successful grant application and are now shaping how the clinical trials will be designed. Links & Resources BioBreak Therapeutics: hbsbiobreak.com Chronic UTI Australia: chronicutiaustralia.org.au Want to learn more about urinary health? Visit LiveUTIFree.com for expert articles on the latest research, or check out our YouTube channel for a video format.
Why Standard UTI Tests Fail & What Immunotherapy Could Change | Dr. Malcolm Starkey with Live UTI Free
Jun 16, 202654 min
Standard urine cultures have dominated UTI diagnosis for over 70 years, yet they were never designed for this purpose. In this episode, Melissa speaks with Dr. Malcolm Starkey, a scientist at Monash University who leads the Urinary Tract Disease Research Group, about why current testing misses infections, how the urinary microbiome connects to your gut and vagina, and why immunotherapy, not just antibiotics, may be the future of chronic UTI treatment. Dr. Starkey explains the science behind diagnostic gaps, the role of Type 2 immunity in bladder health, and what personalized medicine could look like for recurrent infection. If you’ve received a negative test despite clear symptoms, this episode explains why that happens and what researchers are doing to change it. The gap between what patients experience and what standard tests detect reflects a fundamental limitation in how UTIs are diagnosed. Research is moving toward understanding the immune response, not just the bacteria, and that shift could change everything. What You’ll Learn Why standard urine cultures fail to detect many infections: The 100,000 CFU threshold came from a 1950s pregnancy study, not UTI diagnosis. Bacteria hide inside bladder cells. Labs exclude samples with epithelial cells, treating a sign of infection as contamination. How your gut, vagina, and bladder microbiomes connect: Uropathogenic E. coli bloom in your gut, then colonize your urethra. Protective Lactobacilli in your vagina help, but what matters most is how your immune system responds to these bacteria. Why immunotherapy could work when antibiotics alone don’t: Antibiotics kill bacteria. Immunotherapy restores immune balance. Your bladder prioritizes repair over immune memory, unlike your kidneys. Type 2 immunity, stronger in women, may be dysregulated in chronic UTI. Existing asthma treatments could be repurposed to address this. Resources & Links Monash University Urinary Tract Disease Research Group Bladder and Kidney Health Discovery Program Chronic UTI Australia (provides clinician information for Australian residents)
ETAP Trial: Extended Antibiotic Treatment for Chronic UTI | Dr. Kiren Gill and Dr. Harry Horsley with Live UTI Free (LUF)
Jun 2, 202624 minS0
<p><b>A clinical trial that actually defines chronic UTI and tests a treatment protocol designed around it has been a long time coming. In this episode of the Live UTI Free podcast, host Melissa Kramer sits down with Dr. Kiran Gill and Dr. Harry Horsley to talk through the ETAP trial, a new UK-based phase 2 randomised controlled trial investigating extended full-dose antibiotics combined with methenamine hippurate (Hiprex) for chronic UTI. Dr. Kiran Gill is a consultant urogynaecologist at the Whittington Hospital and a clinical academic at University College London, and co-chief investigator on ETAP alongside Professor Rajvinder Khasriya. Dr...
Chronic UTI Prevention, Bladder Tea, & D-Mannose | Julia Anditsch with Live UTI Free (LUF)
May 11, 202639 minS0
<p>What if your bladder isn’t working against you, but trying to tell you something? In this episode of the Live UTI Free podcast, host Melissa Kramer sits down with Julia Anditsch, founder of Die Blase (German for “The Bladder”), an international bladder health platform based in Germany and Austria, and creator of Die Blase To Go, the first ready-to-drink bottled bladder tea.</p><p>Together, Julia and Melissa get into the tools, tests, and daily habits that patients in their communities are actually using to manage recurrent and chronic UTI. They cover D-mannose; lactic acid bacteria probiotics for the gu...
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