High expression of insulin receptor on tumor-associated blood vessels in invasive bladder cancer predicts poor overall and progression-free survival

Abstract

Bladder cancer is a frequently recurring disease with a very poor prognosis when progressed to invasive stages, and tumor-associated blood vessels play a crucial role in this process. In order to identify novel biomarkers associated with progression, we isolated blood vascular endothelial cells (BECs) from human invasive bladder cancers and matched normal bladder tissue, and found that tumor-associated BECs greatly upregulated the expression of insulin receptor (INSR). High expression of INSR on BECs of invasive bladder cancers was si Show more