Orthotopic bladder cancer preclinical models: Comprehensive review and technique optimization

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Preclinical Research

Background:

• * In vivo modeling is critical for understanding bladder cancer biology.
• * Orthotopic bladder tumor models involve direct tumor cell introduction into the bladder.
• * Common orthotopic implantation techniques include transurethral, ultrasound-guided, and surgical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To systematically analyze published orthotopic bladder tumor models in rodents.
• * To identify trends and outcomes associated with different implantation techniques.
• * To optimize a surgical orthotopic technique based on collected data.

Main Methods:

• * A systematic PubMed search identified studies using orthotopic bladder tumor models in mice or rats.
• * Included studies reported preclinical models established via surgical, transurethral, or ultrasound-guided approaches.
• * Data from 187 selected studies were analyzed to identify trends; surgical experiments were also performed.

Main Results:

• * Transurethral installation was the most frequent method but yielded the lowest tumor take rate.
• * The surgical orthotopic approach demonstrated the highest metastatic rate among analyzed techniques.
• * Data analysis informed the optimization of the surgical orthotopic method in the laboratory.

Conclusions:

• * Tumor take rates differ significantly across various orthotopic implantation techniques.
• * Optimizing a surgical implantation approach for bladder cancer models is achievable.
• * Findings provide insights for establishing best practices in orthotopic bladder cancer modeling.