A New Method to Study Urinary Bladder Cancer

Study in a Sentence: Scientists at Iowa State University are using cells derived from urine samples of individuals with bladder cancer to develop organoids that will test various treatments and better modify therapies for patients.

Healthy for Humans: Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, with a high rate of patients experiencing resistance to chemotherapy or serious adverse effects after chemotherapy. To help predict which treatment patients will respond to, there is a need for more innovative tools such as these UBC tissue-derived organoids. 

Redefining Research:  Growing organoids from urine samples rather than a tumor biopsy is a novel and non-invasive approach that researchers can use to test various forms of chemotherapy. This approach could dramatically reduce the cost and time it takes to develop new therapies, which may allow doctors to determine a course of treatment earlier, leading to better patient outcomes.