Systematic Review and Cumulative Analysis of the Combination of Mitomycin C plus Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Fraxetin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of bladder cancer through the Akt pathway in vitro and in vivo

Fraxetin, a natural compound extracted from the Chinese herb Cortex Fraxini, is reported to boast extensive antitumor properties in various cancers. However, whether fraxetin exhibited an anticancer effect on bladder cancer remains unknown. In this study, cell counting kit-8 was utilized to detect cell viability. Flow cytometry analysis was performed for cell apoptosis analysis. Western blot analysis and real-time PCR were used to ascertain gene expression analysis. A mouse bladder cancer xenograft model was established and subjected to fraxetin treatment. Fraxetin reduced the viability of bladder cancer cells, induced apoptosis in vitro, and inhibited the growth of bladder cancer in vivo. Fraxetin inhibited the Akt pathway in J82 cells. In conclusion, the growth inhibitory properties of fraxetin against bladder cancer may be mediated via an Akt inhibitory effect and cell apoptosis promotion.

A new catheter-integrated drug-delivery system for controlled intravesical mitomycin C release

BACKGROUND

Intravesical treatment of bladder cancer is preferred over systemic administration. However, the efficacy of intravesical instillations is challenged by the periodic voiding that flushes out the instilled drug and ultimately reduces drug exposure to the bladder epithelium. Here, we demonstrate a new catheter-integrated drug-delivery concept that utilizes a silicone-based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) as material for the catheter balloon, to facilitate continuous release of the bladder cancer adjuvant, Mitomycin C, from a balloon-reservoir to the urinary bladder.

METHODS

Long-term release properties and anti-carcinoma cell efficacy of released drug was investigated in vitro. Short-term release experiments were performed in live pigs to evaluate the IPN prototype catheter in a physiological relevant environment in vivo.

RESULTS

Sustained zero-order release of Mitomycin C was achieved for 12 days in vitro without refilling the balloon. Mitomycin C was released from the IPN-balloons into the urinary bladder of live pigs in concentrations adequate to inhibit carcinoma cell growth.

CONCLUSION

The IPN catheter represents a new drug-delivery concept for prolonged Mitomycin C delivery to the urinary bladder.

Oral Preparation of Hyaluronic Acid, Chondroitin Sulfate, Curcumin, and Quercetin (Ialuril® Soft Gels) for the Prevention of LUTS after Intravesical Chemotherapy

Intravesical chemotherapy may cause chemical cystitis and related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an oral preparation of hyaluronic acid (HA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), curcumin, and quercetin (Ialuril® Soft Gels) to reduce the severity of LUTS in patients with a history of bladder cancer (BCa) undergoing intravesical chemotherapy. We designed a monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Patients referred to our institute between November 2016 and March 2018 were enrolled. All subjects had non-muscle-invasive BCa and received intravesical chemotherapy with mitomycin C (MMC). Patients were randomized 1:1 in two groups (intervention vs. control). All subjects underwent oral administration (Ialuril® Soft Gels or placebo) starting one week before the first weekly instillation and ending 30 days after the last one, subsequently starting one week before each monthly instillation and ending 14 days after it. International prostate symptom score (IPSS) and 0-100 visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to assess the efficacy of the treatment. Adverse events were also described. Patients were evaluated at baseline and after 1, 4, 7, and 13 months of intravesical chemotherapy. A total of 34 patients were enrolled. The median IPSS score was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group at 4 (13 vs. 17 points; p = 0.038), 7 (10 vs. 18 points; p < 0.001), and 13 (10 vs. 17 points; p = 0.002) months. The median VAS score was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group at 7 (22 vs. 37 points; p = 0.021) and 13 (20 vs. 35 points; p = 0.024) months. No AE specifically related to supplement or placebo was recorded. Oral formulation of HA, CS, quercetin, and curcumin could be an effective and safe supportive therapy against chemical cystitis in patients receiving intravesical chemotherapy for BCa.

Robotic cystectomy histopathology outcomes in patients who have ‘failed’ Bacillus Calmette–Guérin: A case series

Objective:

Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is considered the gold-standard for patients who fail Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) treatment for high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. We reviewed our histopathological outcomes to assess whether we are proceeding to cystectomy at an appropriate time.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of the RARC database (2015–2020) was performed to identify patients who received intravesical BCG before cystectomy. Data regarding demographics, number of BCG instillations and staging were collected. Histopathological stage at cystectomy was compared between patients who received an induction course of BCG only (group A), and those who had continued maintenance doses (group B).

Results:

A total of 73 patients (57 males and 16 females) met the final inclusion criteria, with 24 patients in group A and 49 patients in group B. At cystectomy, 19 patients had ⩾T2 disease (group A: 7; group B: 12). There was no significant difference between groups ( p=0.78). Pelvic lymph node dissection was performed in 68 patients, with six patients found to have lymph node metastases.

Conclusion:

RARC plays a key role in managing BCG failure, considering the number of patients with muscle-invasive disease at final staging. However, prolonged BCG treatment was not associated with more advanced disease in our case series. Thus, persistence with intravesical treatment warrants consideration for selected patients.

Level of evidence:

Level 4.

Mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming controls the induction of immunogenic cell death and efficacy of chemotherapy in bladder cancer

Although chemotherapeutic agents have been used for decades, the mechanisms of action, mechanisms of resistance, and the best treatment schedule remain elusive. Mitomycin C (MMC) is the gold standard treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, it is effective only in a subset of patients, suggesting that, aside from cytotoxicity, other mechanisms could be involved in mediating the success of the treatment. Here, we showed that MMC promotes immunogenic cell death (ICD) and in vivo tumor protection. MMC-induced ICD relied on metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells toward increased oxidative phosphorylation. This favored increased mitochondrial permeability leading to the cytoplasmic release of mitochondrial DNA, which activated the inflammasome for efficient IL-1β (interleukin-1β) secretion that promoted dendritic cell maturation. Resistance to ICD was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction related to low abundance of complex I of the respiratory chain. Analysis of complex I in patient tumors indicated that low abundance of this mitochondrial complex was associated with recurrence incidence after chemotherapy in patients with NMIBC. The identification of mitochondria-mediated ICD as a mechanism of action of MMC offers opportunities to optimize bladder cancer management and provides potential markers of treatment efficacy that could be used for patient stratification.

KEYNOTE-676: Phase III study of BCG and pembrolizumab for persistent/recurrent high-risk NMIBC

Background: Nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is the most common form of bladder cancer, with high rates of disease recurrence and progression. Current treatment for high-risk NMIBC involves Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy, but treatment options are limited for patients with recurrent or BCG-unresponsive disease. Aberrant programmed death 1 signaling has been implicated in BCG resistance and bladder cancer recurrence and progression, and pembrolizumab has shown efficacy in patients with BCG-unresponsive high-risk NMIBC. Aim: To describe the rationale and design for the randomized, comparator-controlled Phase III KEYNOTE-676 study, which will evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in combination with BCG in patients with persistent/recurrent high-risk NMIBC after BCG induction therapy. Trial registration number: NCT03711032.

Combination of Intravesical Bacille Calmette-Guérin and Chemotherapy vs. Bacille Calmette-Guérin Alone in Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background: About 75% of newly diagnosed bladder cancer cases suffer from non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), which used to recur and progress despite transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). This meta-analysis was conducted to examine if combined application of intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) with chemotherapy is associated with better prognosis. Methods: Systematic searches of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning NMIBC were performed in PubMed, EMbase, CENTRAL, CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM databases, and some specialized websites. Two researchers independently implemented study selection, quality assessment and data extraction. Hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for treatment effects on recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were directly extracted, if available, or estimated using relevant data from included studies. Side effects, such as fever, gastrointestinal reaction, cystitis, irritative bladder symptoms and hematuria, were also extracted as outcome measurements, and associated relative risks (RRs) were calculated to assess treatment safety. RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform statistical analyses. Results: Thirteen RCTs containing 1,754 patients with NMIBC were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with BCG alone, the combination therapy significantly improved RFS (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.43-0.66, P < 0.01), OS (HR = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.50-0.86, P = 0.002), and DSS (HR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.29-0.80, P = 0.005). While PFS showed no obvious difference between combination therapy and BCG alone (HR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.25-1.68, P = 0.38). The rate of fever (RR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.27-0.91, P = 0.02), irritative bladder symptoms (RR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.52-0.90, P = 0.007) and hematuria (RR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.28-0.89, P = 0.02) were significantly decreased in patients treated with combination therapy compared to those with BCG alone. There were no statistically significant differences between combination therapy and BCG alone in toxicity (RR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.34-1.40, P = 0.30), gastrointestinal reaction (RR = 2.54, 95%CI: 0.61-10.60, P = 0.20) or cystitis (RR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.29-1.54, P = 0.34). Conclusions: Combined application of intravesical BCG and chemotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for patients with intermediate- to high-risk NMIBC, but not for those with tumor in situ alone or recurrent bladder cancer.

Micronuclei frequency in urothelial cells of bladder cancer patients, as a biomarker of prognosis

It has been suggested that the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in defoliated urothelial cells could be used as a biomarker for both the potential risk of bladder cancer (BC) and its progression. To prove this we have carried out a large study evaluating the MN frequency in a group of 383 hospital patients submitted to cystoscopy. From them, 77 were negative in their first cystoscopy, and were considered as a reference group; 79 were positive and were classified as patients with tumor; and 227 with previous bladder cancer submitted to follow-up monitoring were negative and classified as BC patients without tumor. Vesical washes were processed and the obtained cells were placed onto microscope slides for further scoring. To minimize scoring misinterpretations, cells were stained with DAPI, and observed in a fluorescence microscope. Results indicated that patients with BC presented higher incidence of MN than controls (18.29 ± 10.04 vs. 14.40 ± 8.49, P = 0.010, respectively). When individuals with BC were classified depending on whether the BC was a primary or a recidivated tumor, those patients with recurrent BC presented a higher frequency of MN than those where BC was detected for the first time (19.22 ± 9.59 vs. 16.60 ± 10.78, respectively); nevertheless, this increase did not reach statistical significance. Finally, a positive and significant correlation was observed between MN frequency and the degree of the tumor (P = 0.038). All this together would confirm the potentiality of the MN frequency in urothelial defoliated cells assay to be used, at least, in the follow-up and surveillance of BC patients. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60: 168-173, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Puerarin inhibits bladder cancer cell proliferation through the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway

Puerarin, as a novel oncotherapeutic agent, may exert anticancer effects and inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. To explore the effects of puerarin on human bladder cancer cells, and to elucidate the potential mechanism underlying these effects, a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to examine the proliferation of T24 and EJ cells following puerarin treatment. The effects of puerarin treatment on the cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry (FCM), while puerarin-induced cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and FCM, and the cellular ultrastructural morphological changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Cell invasion was examined using a Transwell assay with Matrigel. The expression levels of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphorylated (p)-mTOR, p70-S6 kinase (p70S6K) and p-p70S6K proteins in the mTOR signaling pathway were then assessed by western blotting. The results demonstrated that puerarin may inhibit bladder cancer cell viability, block the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase and induce apoptosis in bladder cancer cells. The expression levels of p-mTOR and p-p70S6K proteins were downregulated, while no change was observed in the expression levels of mTOR and p70S6K proteins when T-24 and EJ cells were treated by puerarin. In the present study, puerarin was demonstrated to inhibit the viability of human bladder cancer cells. These effects may be due to the puerarin-induced downregulation of proteins in the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway, and the present study may provide the experimental basis for puerarin to be considered as a promising novel anti-tumor drug for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Anti‑allergic action of bacillus Calmette‑Guerin extract in experimental mast cell‑mediated anaphylactic models

Allergy is an acquired hypersensitivity reaction of the immune system mediated by IgE‑induced mast cell degranulation. In China, bacillus Calmette‑Guerin extract (BCGE) has been shown to be clinically effective for regulating immunity, which enhances the resistance of the body to anaphylactic disease, infectious diseases and cancer. However, the mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the potential anti‑allergic effects of BCGE in animal models of mast cell‑dependent anaphylaxis and mechanisms of BCGE in mast cells. Anti‑allergic actions of BCGE were evaluated in passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, dextran T40‑induced scratching behavior mouse models, and in ovalbumin (OVA)‑induced contraction of intestinal tube isolated from OVA‑sensitized guinea pigs. Direct mast cell‑stabilizing effects of BCGE were examined in mast cells from the abdominal cavity of OVA‑sensitized rats. Anti‑allergic signaling mechanisms of BCGE in mast cells were investigated by detection of cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels and protein kinase A expression in mast cells. It was observed that BCGE prevented OVA‑induced cutaneous vascular hyperpermeability, skin itching, elevation in plasma histamine levels and abdominal cavity fluid mast cell degranulation in animal models, in a dose‑dependent manner. BCGE also suppressed OVA‑mediated guinea pig intestinal tube contraction in vitro. In addition, BCGE was found to increase the levels of interferon‑γ, and reduce the levels of interleukin‑4 and OVA‑sIg E levels in OVA‑sensitized rats. BCGE also increased levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and the expression of protein kinase A in mast cells separated from the abdominal cavity fluid of OVA‑sensitized rats. In conclusion, the results suggested that BCGE possesses anti‑allergic activity by inhibiting IgE‑induced mast cell degranulation, providing a foundation for the development of BCGE for the treatment of mast cell‑mediated allergic disorders.