Curie Brief
Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
News
Urine RNA analysis is showing serious promise as a bladder cancer biomarker. A Stanford-led study found that a liquid biopsy method called uRARE-seq detected localized bladder cancer with 95% sensitivity at 90% specificity — outperforming urine tumor DNA tests. It can also predict whether patients will respond to BCG therapy versus chemotherapy before treatment even begins.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a urine-based liquid biopsy method — uRARE-seq — that analyzes cell-free RNA (cfRNA) from urine samples to detect and characterize bladder cancer. Tested across 683 urine samples from cancer patients and controls, the method captured tumor-derived transcripts from patients with bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers, offering a non-invasive window into tumor biology.
The results were striking: uRARE-seq outperformed urine tumor DNA analysis and was unaffected by field-effect mutations — a common confounding factor. Beyond detection, the method could identify minimal residual disease after surgery and distinguish patients who achieved complete molecular responses from those who didn't.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Bladder cancer recurrence is notoriously difficult to monitor, and current surveillance methods are invasive. uRARE-seq could enable non-invasive screening, residual disease tracking, and personalized therapy selection — potentially reshaping how clinicians manage bladder cancer from diagnosis through treatment.
