Single Cell RNA-sequencing of BCG naïve and recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer reveals a CD6/ALCAM-mediated immune-suppressive pathway

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents 70_80% patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer, and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) remains a cornerstone treatment for intermediate- and high-risk NMIBC to prevent disease recurrence and progression. However, a significant number of patients experience recurrence after their first course of BCG, posing significant challenges in the management of the disease. We conducted single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) on freshly collected NMIBC samples, distinguishing between those naive to BCG treatment and those that recurred post-BCG treatment. We observed a clear activation of inflammatory pathways across cell types during recurrence, but these were not associated with canonical immune checkpoint or T cell exhaustion phenotypes.... (for more see dbGaP study page.)