Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic disease of the bladder. Patients with IC have discomfort, pain in the bladder, and often a persistent urge to urinate. There is strong evidence that in IC the biopolymer lining of the bladder wall is disrupted and pain nerves are overly sensitised. Over 18 million people in Europe and the US suffer from IC. Current treatments only offer a transient barrier effect without giving pain relief.