top of page

RESEARCH

bladder cancer research, microscopy
bladder cancer research, microscopy

BLADDER CANCER

Urinary bladder cancer is one of the leading malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity, and mortality. The majority of bladder cancers are urothelial carcinomas. More than half of them are papillomas or the papillary carcinomas, which have a relatively good prognosis. Squamous cell carcinomas have variable survival outcomes, while carcinomas in situ can progress to muscle-invasive urothelial carcinomas with poor prognosis. The most challenging feature of bladder cancer is its high recurrence rate and multifocality. We study (i) cell-biological processes involved in bladder cancer, with the focus on the dissemination of urothelial cancer cells, and (ii) investigate different agents for the prevention and treatment of bladder cancer, where we are evaluating the potential of human amniotic membrane and various retinoids.

We work with biomimetic in vitro models of bladder cancer, in vivo (animal) models of bladder cancer as well as biopsies of human bladder cancer samples.

​

Notable publications:

  • Janev, A., Ramuta, T.Ž., Tratnjek, L., Sardoč, Ž., Obradović, H., Mojsilović, S., Taskovska, M., Smrkolj, T., Kreft, M.E. (2021). Detrimental Effect of Various Preparations of the Human Amniotic Membrane Homogenate on the 2D and 3D Bladder Cancer In vitro Models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2021 Jun 25;9:690358. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.690358.

  • ERMAN, Andreja, KAMENŠEK, Urška, DRAGIN JERMAN, Urška, PAVLIN, Mojca, ČEMAŽAR, Maja, VERANIČ, Peter, ROMIH, Rok. How cancer cells invade bladder epithelium and form tumors : the mouse bladder tumor model as a model of tumor recurrence in patients. International journal of molecular sciences. 2021, vol. 22, iss. 12, p. 1-20. ISSN 1422-0067. DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126328. 

  • DRAGIN JERMAN, Urška, VIŠNJAR, Tanja, HAFNER BRATKOVIČ, Iva, RESNIK, Nataša, PAVLIN, Mojca, VERANIČ, Peter, ERDANI-KREFT, Mateja. Attachment of cancer urothelial cells to the bladder epithelium occurs on uroplakin-negative cells and is mediated by desmosomal and not by classical cadherins. International journal of molecular sciences. 2021, vol. 22, iss. 11, p. 1-18, DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115565.

  • ERMAN, Andreja, KAMENŠEK, Urška, DRAGIN JERMAN, Urška, PAVLIN, Mojca, ČEMAŽAR, Maja, VERANIČ, Peter, ROMIH, Rok. How cancer cells invade bladder epithelium and form tumors : the mouse bladder tumor model as a model of tumor recurrence in patients. International journal of molecular sciences. 2021, vol. 22, iss. 12, p. 1-20, DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126328.

  • ZUPANČIČ, Daša, KORAĆ-PRLIĆ, Jelena, ERDANI-KREFT, Mateja, FRANKOVIĆ, Lucija, VILOVIĆ, Katarina, JERUC, Jera, ROMIH, Rok, TERZIĆ, Janoš. Vitamin A rich diet diminishes early urothelial carcinogenesis by altering retinoic acid signaling. Cancers. 2020, vol. 12, iss. 7, p. 1-19. DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071712.

  • ZUPANČIČ, Daša, ROMIH, Rok. Immunohistochemistry as a paramount tool in research of normal urothelium, bladder cancer and bladder pain syndrome. European journal of histochemistry. 2021, vol. 65, iss. 2, p. 1-8, DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2021.3242.

  • TRATNJEK, Larisa, JERUC, Jera, ROMIH, Rok, ZUPANČIČ, Daša. Vitamin A and retinoids in bladder cancer chemoprevention and treatment: a narrative review of current evidence, challenges and future prospects. International journal of molecular sciences. 2021, vol. 22, iss. 7, p. 1-19, DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073510.

bottom of page