High dose-rate Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy During High Risk Genitourinary Surgery: Initial Observations and a Proposal for its Study in Bladder Cancer

Hydrogel: a new material for intravesical drug delivery after bladder cancer surgery

The standard treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). However, this procedure may miss small lesions or incompletely remove them, resulting in cancer recurrence or progression. As a result, intravesical instillation of chemotherapy or immunotherapy drugs is often used as an adjunctive treatment after TURBT to prevent cancer recurrence. In the traditional method, drugs are instilled into the patient's bladder through a urinary catheter under sterile conditions. However, this treatment exposes the bladder mucosa to the drug directly, leading to potential side effects like chemical cystitis. Furthermore, this treatment has several limitations, including a short drug retention period, susceptibility to urine dilution, low drug permeability, lack of targeted effect, and limited long-term clinical efficacy. Hydrogel, a polymer material with a high-water content, possesses solid elasticity and liquid fluidity, making it compatible with tissues and environmentally friendly. It exhibits great potential in various applications. One emerging use of hydrogels is in intravesical instillation. By employing hydrogels, drug dilution is minimized, and drug absorption, retention, and persistence in the bladder are enhanced due to the mucus-adhesive and flotation properties of hydrogel materials. Furthermore, hydrogels can improve drug permeability and offer targeting capabilities. This article critically examines the current applications and future prospects of hydrogels in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Long Noncoding RNA ATB Promotes Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Bladder Cancer by Suppressing MicroRNA-126

This study aimed to explore the biological functions of long noncoding RNA activated by transforming growth factor-β (lncRNA-ATB) in bladder cancer cells. For the expressions of lncRNA-ATB, miR-126, and KRAS, T24 cells were transfected with their specific vectors/shRNA or mimic/inhibitor. Then cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis as well as the protein levels of apoptosis-related factors and PI3K/AKT and mTOR signal pathways were measured. The relationships of lncRNA-ATB and miR-126 or miR-126 and KRAS were analyzed by Dual-Luciferase Reporter assay. Functional experiments showed that lncRNA-ATB overexpression significantly promoted cell viability, migration, and invasion in T24 cells. lncRNA-ATB was a molecular sponge of miR-126 and exerted tumor-promoting effects by downregulation of miR-126. Moreover, KRAS was a direct target of miR-126 and was negatively regulated by miR-126. Finally, overexpression of KRAS increased cell viability, migration, and invasion, as well as activated PI3K/AKT and mTOR signaling pathways in T24 cells. The results revealed that lncRNA-ATB was an oncogene, which promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating miR-126 in bladder cancer. These findings may provide a potential prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for bladder cancer.