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An Orthotopic Bladder Cancer Model for Gene Delivery Studies
Published on: December 1, 2013
Molecular Basis of Tumorigenesis of Bladder Cancer and Emerging Concepts in Developing Therapeutic Targets
Rana M Abdeltwab1, Elaria Yacoub1, Ahmed H Rashad1
1Department of Clinical Oncology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Background:
Advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) is an aggressive disease whose mutagenic processes are yet to be elucidated. Targeted therapies are urgently needed, but the road from bench to bedside is slowly progressing. In this review, we discuss urothelial carcinoma etiology, along with the most recent advances in UC candidate targeted therapies.
Methodology:
A comprehensive database search was performed. We aimed to review the most recent updates on UC genomics and targeted therapies. Pre-clinical as well as clinical studies were included.
Results:
Our review highlights the advances in understanding the molecular basis of urothelial tumorigenesis, including smoking, chemical parasitic carcinogens, inheritance, and APOBEC3 editing enzymes. We discussed how these factors contributed to the current mutational landscape of UC. Therapeutic options for UC are still very limited. However, several promising therapeutic approaches are in development to leverage our knowledge of molecular targets, such as targeting fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR), DNA damage repair pathways, and HER2.
Conclusions:
Blindly testing targeted therapies based on other cancer data is not sufficient. UC-specific biomarkers are needed to precisely use the appropriate drug for the appropriate population. More efforts to understand UC biology and evolution are urgently needed.
Insights
Understanding urothelial carcinoma (UC) requires exploring its mutagenic origins. This review covers UC etiology and promising targeted therapies, emphasizing the need for UC-specific biomarkers for effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) is aggressive with incompletely understood mutagenic processes.
- Targeted therapies are crucial but face slow development from research to clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in urothelial carcinoma (UC) genomics and candidate targeted therapies.
- To elucidate the etiology and molecular basis of UC tumorigenesis.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of pre-clinical and clinical studies.
- Review of recent updates on UC genomics and targeted therapies.
Main Results:
- UC tumorigenesis involves factors like smoking, carcinogens, inheritance, and APOBEC3 editing.
- The mutational landscape of UC is shaped by these factors.
- Promising targeted therapies include FGFR, DNA damage repair, and HER2 pathways.
Conclusions:
- UC-specific biomarkers are essential for effective targeted therapy selection.
- Further research into UC biology and evolution is critical.
- Generic testing of targeted therapies is insufficient for UC treatment.
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