We developed an in vitro model of bladder cancer reprogramming that identifies biomarkers associated with the induction of stem-like states and cellular plasticity. Our findings reveal significant stage-specific proteomic changes offering insights into the hierarchical organization of bladder cancer and the molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer stem cell phenotype. These results facilitate the development of more precise, patient-specific in vitro models for studying tumor recurrence and treatment resistance. However, further mechanistic studies are needed to translate effectively potential biomarkers into clinical practice.
Barlak et al. (Sun,) studied this question.