Urinary Biomarkers for Detection, Treatment Decision and Prognosis of Cancer

  • 6,665

    Total downloads

  • 22k

    Total views and downloads

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Current cancer diagnosis relies on tissue biopsy, which is invasive and painful. Reliable and noninvasive biomarkers for cancer are an unmet need. Urine is a complex fluid containing numerous cells and small molecule metabolites, which allows for completely non-invasive sampling, large-volume collection, and easy repeat measurements. In addition to urinary tumor biomarkers, urine also contains tumor biomarkers of a variety of other organs, because the kidneys are organs that produce urine with abundant blood supply and are important organs for the excretion of human metabolic waste. Markers with very low concentrations in urine can accumulate through the overrate and concentration function of the kidneys, resulting in higher concentrations. Non-invasive urinary biomarkers for detection, treatment decision, and prognosis are beneficial for cancer patients.

Genome : A series of studies have shown that urine DNA methylation detection is helpful for the early detection and recurrence monitoring of bladder cancer and upper tract urothelial carcinoma, with high sensitivity and specificity for low-grade tumors, and can reduce the number of cystoscopy examinations and the burden of secondary surgery. In prostate cancer, the 14-gene panel urine test is more accurate than PSA and Gleason scores in risk stratification and can be used to detect high-risk prostate cancer to aid treatment decisions. Urine DNA testing can dynamically track EGFR mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with EGFR-TKIs. Urinary cell-free DNA may be a potential alternative to traditional primary tissue-based detection of EGFR mutations.
Transcriptome : Urine exosome analysis has been a research hotspot in recent years. Exosomes contain a variety of characteristic proteins and RNAs, which change according to cancer type and tumor progression stage and are a promising biomarker for cancer surveillance and non-invasive diagnosis. There was overexpression of miR-224-5p in urinary exosomes of patients with renal cell carcinoma. miR-224-5p suppressed RCC cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest through inhibiting cyclin D1 expression. PD-L1 protein abundance was increased by miR-224-5p, and this regulation could be transmitted via exosomes intercellularly. These findings may shed light on biomarker discovery for RCC immunotherapy. Urine transcriptional levels of CK20 and IGF2 were significantly higher in bladder cancer patients than in healthy controls.
Proteome : Urine contains complex protein components, which are closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of tumors. Studies have shown that LYVE1, REG1A, and TFF1 can be used for the early diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Urine proteome also shows potential as a biomarker for other non-urinary cancers, such as colon, ovarian, lung, and bile duct cancers. Urine DickOPF-3 (DKK3), a stress-induced tubular epithelial-derived fibrogenic glycoprotein, identifies patients at short-term risk for loss of EGFR.
Metabolome : There are many metabolites in urine, which are closely related to the function of organs, the occurrence, development, treatment, and prognosis of tumors. Activin A is a multifunctional cytokine in the TGF-βsuperfamily, which is involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of renal diseases. Activin A in urine cannot be detected in healthy people, and its elevation and decrease are closely related to the progression of the disease and the therapeutic effect. The urinary metabolite group can be used to detect/diagnose pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and statistical analysis identified a six-metabolite group that showed a high potential for the diagnosis of PDAC. Urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are associated with the risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and nodular goiter (NG). PAH exposure may increase the risk of NG/PTC, and there may be a gender-specific effect of PAH exposure on the development of NG/PTC.

At present, because of the cross-interaction between various diseases, the specificity of urinary biomarkers is not good, and the conversion rate of clinical application is not high. The lack of systematic research on urinary biomarkers in several human systems is not conducive to understanding and clinical application. For this Research Topic, we aimed to bring together recent advances on screening and validating potential urinary biomarkers for detection, treatment, and prognosis of cancer. Various methodologies can be used to elucidate the pathophysiology of cancer markers or discovery based on clinical application.

This Research Topic welcomes submissions of Original Research and Reviews on novel or established genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic, or metabolomic urinary biomarkers, for cancer detection, treatment, and prognosis. Specific subject areas of interest include but are not limited to:
- Urine DNA methylation biomarkers in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of tumors
- The correlation between urine metabolites and organ function and disease occurrence and development
- Correlation between urine metabolites and the efficacy of antitumor drugs
- The role of urine exosome analysis in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of tumors
- Diagnosis and prognostic monitoring of urinary FISH in tumors

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Impact

  • 22kTopic views
  • 14kArticle views
  • 6,665Article downloads
View impact