A high stroma-tumor ratio is associated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and a poor prognosis in bladder cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most common urogenital malignancies in the world. The stroma of the tumor microenvironment (TME) largely affects the progression of BLCA. However, a stroma-relevant biomarker for predicting BLCA progression is still lacking.

Methods

We obtained gene expression profiles and clinical data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets via UCSC Xena. The amount of stroma was evaluated using a stromal score and a stroma-tumor ratio (STR). The STR was independently assessed by two pathologists. The stromal score, derived from the R package "ESTIMATE," was used to calculate the relative proportions of the stroma. We performed cell viability, wound healing, and Boyden chamber assays to determine cell behavior and utilized a BLCA in-house co

SUBMITTER: Da Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12411155 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature