The Urinary Microbiome: Role in Bladder Cancer and Treatment

Abstract

Commensal microbes have increasingly been found to be involved in the development and progression of cancer. The recent discovery of the urinary microbiome bolstered the notion that microbes might play a role in bladder cancer. Although microbial involvement in bladder neoplastic transformation and metastatic progression, except schisto somiasis, has not been established, accumulating research suggests that dysbiosis of the urinary microbiome can produce a chronically inflammatory urothelial microenvironment and lead to bladder cancer. In this review, we describe how the urinary microbiome might facilitate the development of bladder cancer by altering the host immune system and the kind of cytokines that are directly involved in these responses. We investigated the therapeutic possibilities of modulating the urinary microbiome, including immune checkpoint therapy. The responsiveness of patients to intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy was evaluated with respect to microbiome composition. We conclude by noting that the application of microbes to orchestrate the inflammatory response in the bladder may facilitate the development of treatments for bladder cancer.

Update on the Effect of the Urinary Microbiome on Urolithiasis

“…However, although it is difficult to identify a single group of common bacteria found in a healthy bladder, comparative studies have provided insights into the overlap and various compositions of urine-based microbial communities [33]. One study found that the urinary microbiome is composed primarily of species from a few genera, most frequently Lactobacilli (the generic term 'Lactobacilli' is useful to designate all organisms that were classified as Lactobacillaceae [34]), Gardnerella, and Streptococcus, and has a lower biomass than the vaginal microbiome [31].…”

“…Due to the significant anatomical and physiological differences between men's and women's lower urinary tracts, it is not surprising that the urine microbiome of the bladder also exhibits unequal stratification [33]. One study discovered that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the phyla that men and women shared most frequently.…”

Clostridium butyricum Inhibits the Inflammation in Children with Primary Nephrotic Syndrome by Regulating Th17 / Tregs Balance via Gut-Kidney Axis

“…Studies have shown that urinary microbes play an important role in the development of urolithiasi, interstitial cystitis, bladder cancer and attention de cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [22,23,[50][51][52] . However, the role of urethral microbes in the development of PNS has rarely been reported.…”

The Urinary Microbiome: A Pediatric Urological Perspective

“…(2) Bladder cancer: Some studies have demonstrated that the UM is associated with bladder cancer transformation and metastatic progression. It has further been suggested that dysbiosis of the UM produces a chronically inflammatory urothelial microenvironment which leads to bladder cancer [45]. However, it remains unknown whether the UM affects the development or progression of bladder cancer, or whether bladder cancer is responsible for the alternation of the UM [6].…”