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Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Bladder Cancer Think Tank 2025
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| Tracking and Tackling an Increasing Trend in Young-Onset Bladder/Urothelial Cancer |
| Mario Fernández, MD, Melanie Pepin, MS, CGC, and Kristen Watts |
| The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Bladder Cancer Think Tank 2025, was host to the Breakout Session: Tracking and Tackling an Increasing Trend in Young-Onset Bladder/Urothelial Cancer. Dr. Shilpa Gupta and Dr. Ashish Kamat co-chaired the breakout session Tracking and Tackling an Increasing Trend in Young-Onset Bladder/Urothelial Cancer. They invited Dr. Mario Fernández, Melanie Pepin, and Kristen Watts to tackle this very important subject. |
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| Overcoming Immune Suppressive Myeloid Cell Barriers in Bladder Cancer
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| Christopher Garris, PhD
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| Christopher Garris presented strategies to overcome immune-suppressive myeloid cell barriers in bladder cancer by enhancing dendritic cell (DC)–mediated IL-12 production. Using CANDI nanoparticles and JAK inhibitors, his team activated DCs to produce IL-12, leading to stronger antitumor immune responses in both primary bladder tumors and lung metastases. He emphasized the importance of CD4⁺ T cells, lymphocyte trafficking, and sequential immunotherapy combinations for maximizing efficacy and achieving durable responses in preclinical models.
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| Exploring Therapeutic Vulnerabilities for Drug Development in Bladder Cancer Using down Syndrome as a Novel Model
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| John Taylor III, MD, MS, PhD
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| John Taylor presented research using Down Syndrome (DS) mouse models to uncover therapeutic vulnerabilities in bladder cancer, inspired by the notably lower incidence of solid tumors in individuals with DS. His team observed reduced tumor burden and lower-stage disease in DS models, potentially linked to mitotic regulation and downregulation of Aurora kinase B (AURKB), a cell cycle protein overexpressed in bladder cancer.
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| Elucidating Effects of Nutrition on the Microbiome and Immunotherapy Efficacy |
| Brendan Guercio, MD |
| Brendan Guercio presented research linking dietary fiber intake to improved immunotherapy outcomes in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer. His study showed that higher fiber intake was associated with longer progression-free survival during immune checkpoint blockade, likely due to fiber's impact on the gut microbiome and production of immunomodulatory metabolites like butyrate. |
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| Bio-Digital Avatars for Personalized Sequencing of Bladder Cancer Therapies |
| Bishoy Faltas, MD |
| Bishoy Faltas introduced a bio-digital avatar system that uses deep reinforcement learning and mechanistic modeling to personalize treatment sequencing for metastatic bladder cancer. This AI-driven platform adapts therapy based on tumor dynamics and ctDNA data, aiming to delay resistance by adjusting drug selection and timing in real time. Validated in preclinical models, the system nearly doubled time to progression compared to standard protocols, and future steps include scaling to in silico clinical trials to refine personalized therapy strategies.Ask ChatGPT |
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| Balancing Innovation and Affordability: Collaborative Pathways in Bladder Cancer Care |
| Richard Toner, Michael Louie, MD, MPH, MSc, EVP, and Stephanie Spence, PharmD, CSP |
The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Bladder Cancer Think Tank 2025, was host to the session: Navigating Financial Toxicity in Bladder Cancer. Dr Parminder Singh, Dr. Matthew Mossanen, and Dr. Ruchika Talwar co-chaired the session Balancing Innovation and Affordability: Collaborative Pathways in Bladder Cancer Care.
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