# Delineation of tumor, stromal and immune transcriptomes at the infiltrating interface of muscle invasive bladder cancer

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $182,325

## Abstract

Project Summary
The presence of tumor invasion into the submucosal muscle of the bladder defines the progression from
nonlethal to lethal bladder cancer; however, this process is not well understood at the molecular level. Genomic
and transcriptomic profiling of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) has recently identified mutations and gene
expression profiles associated with established MIBC. Although a major advancement in the bladder cancer
field, these analyses were unable to determine the unique transcriptional programs activated in individual tumor,
stromal and immune populations at the invasive interface of MIBC. This was primarily due to the limitations of
accurate spatial collection of infiltrating tumor and adjacent/intermingled stroma and infiltrating immune cells. As
a result, earlier transcriptomic studies and even recent studies using single cell RNAseq relied on heterogeneous
bulk tumor, which includes both noninvasive as well as normal stroma and immune components spatially distant
from the invasive border. This heterogeneity makes it difficult to accurately de-convolute gene expression
signatures unique to tumor cells, stroma and infiltrating immune cells in the immediate invasive micro-
environment. We hypothesize that distinct gene networks are activated in individual tumor, stromal and
immune populations at the invasive interface of MIBC. RNAseq profiling and bioinformatic analysis should
reveal enriched and distinct transcriptomic signatures from the individual populations. This research would
provide positive impact by identifying cellular and molecular signatures of distinct cellular populations driving
invasive progression. These findings could then lead to examination of candidate gene networks that will serve
as the basis for biological function, potential biomarker identification and new therapeutic targets that are needed
for bladder cancer patients who have been diagnosed with or have relapsed with muscle invasive disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10353062
- **Project number:** 1R21CA259763-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** MARK L DAY
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $182,325
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-12-22 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10353062

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10353062, Delineation of tumor, stromal and immune transcriptomes at the infiltrating interface of muscle invasive bladder cancer (1R21CA259763-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10353062. Licensed CC0.

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