The inflammatory microenvironment and the urinary microbiome in the initiation and progression of bladder cancer

Xingxing Huang; Ting Pan; Lili Yan; Ting Jin; Ruonan Zhang; Bi Chen; Jiao Feng; Ting Duan; Yu Xiang; Mingming Zhang; Xiaying Chen; Zuyi Yang; Wenzheng Zhang; Xia Ding; Tian Xie; Xinbing Sui

doi:10.1016/j.gendis.2020.10.002

The inflammatory microenvironment and the urinary microbiome in the initiation and progression of bladder cancer

Genes Dis. 2020 Oct 13;8(6):781-797. doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2020.10.002. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Authors

Xingxing Huang^{1

2}, Ting Pan^{1

2}, Lili Yan^{1

2}, Ting Jin^{1

2}, Ruonan Zhang^{1

2}, Bi Chen^{1

2}, Jiao Feng^{1

2

3}, Ting Duan^{1

2

3}, Yu Xiang^{1

2

3}, Mingming Zhang^{1

2

3}, Xiaying Chen^{1

2}, Zuyi Yang^{1

2}, Wenzheng Zhang^{1

2}, Xia Ding⁴, Tian Xie^{1

2

3}, Xinbing Sui^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, College of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310015, PR China.
² College of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311121, PR China.
³ Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311121, PR China.
⁴ School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, PR China.

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic inflammation may play a critical role in various malignancies, including bladder cancer. This hypothesis stems in part from inflammatory cells observed in the urethral microenvironment. Chronic inflammation may drive neoplastic transformation and the progression of bladder cancer by activating a series of inflammatory molecules and signals. Recently, it has been shown that the microbiome also plays an important role in the development and progression of bladder cancer, which can be mediated through the stimulation of chronic inflammation. In effect, the urinary microbiome can play a role in establishing the inflammatory urethral microenvironment that may facilitate the development and progression of bladder cancer. In other words, chronic inflammation caused by the urinary microbiome may promote the initiation and progression of bladder cancer. Here, we provide a detailed and comprehensive account of the link between chronic inflammation, the microbiome and bladder cancer. Finally, we highlight that targeting the urinary microbiome might enable the development of strategies for bladder cancer prevention and personalized treatment.

Keywords: Bladder cancer; Carcinogenesis; Inflammatory microenvironment; Pathogenesis; Progression; Urinary microbiome.

Publication types

Review