Translational research in bladder cancer: from molecular pathogenesis to useful tissue biomarkers

Current risk stratification using clinical and pathological parameters in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is insufficient. Additional information on the tumor biology can be derived from molecular biomarkers assessed in surgical UCB specimens and the predictive accuracy of oncologic end points may be improved. Biomarkers may also be used to predict the response to novel multimodal therapeutic approaches. Insights from the molecular pathogenesis of UCB can help identify potential biomarkers. A variety of candidate markers for future clinical use have been identified. However, results from comprehensive validation trials and prospective studies are still lacking. This precludes an application of molecular biomarkers in clinical practice at the moment. In this article, we review a selection of tissue biomarkers that are linked to important steps in molecular pathogenesis of UCB. We focused on biomarkers already tested in patient populations with potential clinical utility.