Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Albert Institute for Bladder Cancer Research Symposium

Quantitative Analysis of Tumor-Associated Mast Cells in Recurrent and Non-recurrent Urothelial Bladder Cancer in Stage pTa and pT1

Background

Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UCUB) is a common malignancy in both genders with a very high recurrence rate. There has been increasing evidence for a correlation between tumor-associated mast cells (TAMC) and tumor growth and recurrence rates. In the present study, we set out to establish a link between TAMC and the clinical morphological characteristics of UCUB in stages pTa and pT1.

Methodology

A retrospective non-clinical approach was used, with two groups of patients with UCUB. A total of 163 patients were included, 95 in the non-recurrent group and 68 in the recurrent UCUB group. Estimation of TAMC was performed on histological slides from the initial biopsy material using Giemsa and Toluidine blue staining. The collected data were statistically analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier curve, Mann-Whitney test, receiver operating characteristic curve, and chi-square analysis.

Results

Statistical analysis revealed that TAMC in the tumor stroma shows a positive correlation with local recurrence, with no statistical significance to the time of recurrence. No correlation showed statistical significance with pT stage, grade, gender, and age.

Conclusions

The amount of TAMC in UCUB correlates positively with the rate of local recurrence. The depicted correlations are similar to those established in mammary carcinoma, some lymphoproliferative disorders, and pancreatic and prostate malignancies.

CircRNA_0058063 functions as a ceRNA in bladder cancer progression via targeting miR-486-3p/FOXP4 axis

Emerging evidence has uncovered critical regulatory roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) function as dynamic scaffolding molecules in tumorigenesis and progression. However, the aberrant expression and clinical significance of hsa_circ_0058063 (circRNA_0058063) in bladder cancer (BC) remain poorly understood. circRNA expression was analyzed via a microarray in cancerous tissue and non-carcinoma tissues. Luciferase reporter assays and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were both conducted to uncover the function of circRNA_0058063 in BC. circRNA_0058063 was overexpressed in BC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Knockdown of circRNA_0058063 dramatically decreased cell proliferation and invasion, and promoted apoptosis in 5637 and BIU-87 cell lines. Furthermore, mechanistic investigations showed that circRNA_0058063 and FOXP4 could directly bind to miR-486-3p, demonstrating that circRNA_0058063 regulated FOXP4 expression by competitively binding to miR-486-3p. Taken together, circRNA_0058063 functions by sponging miR-486-3p in BC progression, which could act as a new biomarker and further developed to be a therapeutic target in BC.

Mechanisms of BCG immunotherapy and its outlook for bladder cancer

BCG immunotherapy is the gold-standard treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer at high risk of recurrence or progression. Preclinical and clinical studies have revealed that a robust inflammatory response to BCG involves several steps: attachment of BCG; internalization of BCG into resident immune cells, normal cells, and tumour urothelial cells; BCG-mediated induction of innate immunity, which is orchestrated by a cellular and cytokine milieu; and BCG-mediated initiation of tumour-specific immunity. As an added layer of complexity, variation between clinical BCG strains might influence development of tumour immunity. However, more than 40 years after the first use of BCG for bladder cancer, many questions regarding its mechanism of action remain unanswered. Clearly, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying BCG-mediated tumour immunity could lead to improved efficacy, increased tolerance of treatment, and identification of novel immune-based therapies. Indeed, enthusiasm for bladder cancer immunotherapy, and the possibility of combining BCG with other therapies, is increasing owing to the availability of targeted immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors. Understanding of the mechanism of action of BCG immunotherapy has advanced greatly, but many questions remain, and further basic and clinical research efforts are needed to develop new treatment strategies for patients with bladder cancer.