# BCCMA: Translational research to improve the care of advanced bladder cancer

> **NIH VA I01** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Sub-Title of This Project
Development of an oral cancer-specific quadra-functional theranostic platform for advanced bladder
cancer
SUMMARY
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer and seventh most common cause of cancer death in men.
Almost all bladder cancer deaths are caused by advanced bladder cancer (aBC) which is the focus of this
project. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is only moderately effective, costly,
inconveniently administrated through intravenous infusion and associated with significant immune-mediated
toxicity secondary to delivery of ICIs to and activation of immune response against non-cancerous tissues. The
goal of this project is to develop oral cancer-specific theranostic platform that can not only deliver an ICI to
cancer sites with enhanced efficacy, decreased toxicity, low cost and convenient oral administration, but can
also be used for photodynamic diagnosis and therapy. In this project, cancer-specific attenuated Salmonella
will specifically deliver a protein photosensitizer to cancer sites which is then activated by light to emit red
fluorescence for photodynamic diagnosis, and to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) for photodynamic
therapy. Salmonella itself can also modify and create pro-immune tumor microenvironment (microbiotherapy).
Furthermore, the cancer-specific Salmonella can express an ICI locally at the cancer sites to activate anti-
cancer immunity while eliminating immune-mediated toxicity associated with intravenous immunotherapy. More
importantly, photodynamic therapy, microbiotherapy and immunotherapy can achieve synergistic anti-cancer
effects and enhance the efficacy. Four specific aims are proposed in this project. Aim I is to determine the most
effective cancer-specific Salmonella regimen for bladder cancer immunotherapy; Aim II is to determine whether
the cancer-specific Salmonella can eradicate locally advanced bladder cancer, induce abscopal effect, and
prevent cancer metastasis; Aim III is to determine the underlying mechanisms of action and resistance; and
Aim IV is to determine the potential of the cancer-specific Salmonella for photodynamic diagnosis.
Accomplishment of the proposed work will lead to the consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration
for clinical trials in human patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10832514
- **Project number:** 5I01BX006075-02
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** CHONG-XIAN PAN
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10832514

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10832514, BCCMA: Translational research to improve the care of advanced bladder cancer (5I01BX006075-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10832514. Licensed CC0.

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