Protein-protein interaction and novel biomarkers of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the world [1]. It is the 6th most common amongst men and the 17th most common amongst women, making men 4 times more likely to develop it [1]. Unfortunately, those who develop it once are at a high risk of the cancer reoccurring and thus need regular monitoring done by a specialist every 3-6 months [2]. Not only is it a challenging and expensive cancer to diagnose because it relies mainly on cystoscopy, an invasive and expensive procedure, but also to treat [3]. Through this research, we aim to use proteomics in an attempt to discover links between proteins that could be connected to bladder cancer, which may provide a better understanding of the disease. We were able to find 40 genes using PubMed that are connected to bladder cancer, which have been studied as potential biomarkers. Employing genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics tools such as PANTHER, STRING and Human Protein Atlas, protein-protein interactions were further analyzed and potential novel biomarkers were identified. Further studies of these proteins and their pathways may prove to play a vital role in the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and better overall understanding of this disease.