Role of microbiota in bladder cancer development

Bladder cancer (BC) is the fourth most common cancer in men after prostate, lung, and colon cancer. It is three to four times more common in men than in women. Bladder cancer can be caused by chronic infection with Schistosoma haematobium, while the main therapeutic approach is the instillation of the Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG). These facts clearly highlight the importance of microbes (microbiota) in the pathogenesis of bladder cancer. Recent research, including ours, has shown that urine is not sterile, and it is becoming clear that the urine microbiota of patients with BC and in healthy individuals differs. Mice with the dysfunctional molecule TLR4, which is a receptor for Gram-negative bacteria (such as Escherichia coli and Fusobacterium nucleatum), will examine the role of TLR4 and downstream molecules, as well as the potential role of Gram-negative bacteria in bladder cancer. The proposed project seeks to identify important aspects of the role that microbiota play in the development and recurrence of BC. Identification of microbes or microbial-related molecular elements important for BC pathology would open up new possibilities in diagnosis as well as in the prevention and treatment of bladder cancer.