Badrinath R. Konety, MD, MBA

Research Interests

Use of synthetic nerve grafts to restore cavernous nerve function following prostate cancer surgery

Erectile dysfunction is a common complication of radical surgery (prostectomy) employed for the treatment of prostate cancer. It is typically caused by damage to the cavernous nerves that stimulate the penis. This study seeks to investigate if replacement of cavernous nerves removed or damaged during prostatectomy with synthetic nerve grafts made of polymers can restore erectile function.

Profiling post-operative risk in patients undergoing surgical intervention for bladder and other urologic cancers

A large proportion of patients who undergo surgery for bladder or other urologic cancers are more than 65 years old. There is evidence that advanced age and other medical problems can increase the likelihood of adverse post-surgical events, including death. This project seeks to develop a model to predict peri-operative risk in elderly patients undergoing urologic cancer surgery using a combination of functional, biologic and immunologic parameters.

Development of consensus recommendations for screening and management of prostate cancer in the elderly

Screening for prostate cancer is controversial but widely practiced. It is unclear if older men (older than 75 years) will benefit from screening or aggressive management of prostate cancer to the same extent as younger men as their life expectancy is often 10 years or less. This project plans to develop a series of recommendations for screening and managing prostate cancer in older men. The project will also facilitate adoption and implementation of the developed guidelines.

Gene therapy for prostate cancer

As part of the prostate cancer gene therapy program at the University of Iowa, Konety participated in a recently completed phase I clinical trial of Adenovirus type 5 vector (Ad5) with PSA cDNA used as a vaccine to stimulate immunologic destruction of prostate cancer cells in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. A second protocol to test Ad5-TNF apoptosis inducing ligand (AD5-TRAIL) in a phase I setting is being developed. As the principal investigator, Konety has coordinated the FDA IND submission, and the development of the study design and protocol.

Health Services and Outcomes Research in Urologic Cancers

Konety conducts health services and outcomes research focused on urologic cancers and bladder cancer in particular. He has published extensively on the impact of hospital and surgical volume on outcomes and is conducting research on developing benchmarks for surgical quality in urology

Development of markers for bladder cancer

Konety is involved in development of urine based markers for bladder cancer. Working with Robert Getzenberg, PhD he identified and developed a test to identify BLCA-4, a nuclear matrix protein marker in the urine of bladder cancer patients. Large scale multi-institutional clinical trials are now validating this marker.

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