The number of bladder cancer patients diagnosed in the UK was 10,399 in 2011, with approximately 30 % of patients developing invasive tumours which infiltrate the muscle of the bladder. However, to date ,this common type of bladder cancer remains to be an incurable disease in lack of targeted therapy. Fortunately, scientists at York made a great discovery that could help to improve the treatment of this disease.

Professor Jenny Southgate, in the Department of Biology at York, discovered a extremely aggressive type of muscle-invasive cancer, and initially confirmed that this type of tumour could be cured using drugs that target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling pathway which controls cell proliferation.

 Another research in France also found specific biomarkers of this tumour sub-type and showed that potential targeted treatment was effective in preclinical models. The multi-disciplinary research, which involved biologists, bioinformaticians, pathologists and clinicians, is published in Science Translational Medicine.

A promising therapeutic target for bladder tumour

Analysis of gene expression of 383 invasive bladder tumours enabled the researchers to identify a extremely aggressive group of tumours, representing around 24 % of bladder invasive tumour cases. The researchers analyzed the molecular changes in this group, which revealed a permanent activation of the EGFR signaling pathway which controls cell proliferation. This signaling pathway, therefore, constitutes a promising therapeutic target.

The genetic expression profile of the tumours was found to be very similar to a particular type of aggressive breast cancer tumours. The identification of a preclinical model of bladder cancers enabled the researchers to test the efficacy of an anti-EGFR drug, which resulted in a significant reduction in tumour progression. The researchers have also found biomarkers allowing the identification of patients who might benefit from this treatment.

Reference:

EGFR as a potential therapeutic target for a subset of muscle-invasive bladder cancers presenting a basal-like phenotype. Sci Transl Med. 2014 Jul 9;6(244):244ra91.