Identifying Apo-A1 and Apo-A2 as potential biomarkers in bladder cancer screening by urine samples

Abstract

Bladder cancer is a significant worldwide health issue with a high incidence rate, necessitating accurate early screening to enhance patient health. Early detection through effective screening methods can lead to timely interventions and improving survival rates. Current screening methods for bladder cancer have made significant progress. However, limitations in sensitivity and specificity have remained significant barriers to their broad implementation. Urine-based biomarkers present a promising alternative for the early detection and monitoring of bladder cancer, with screening biomarkers offering the potential for non-invasive methods and enhanced accuracy by minimizing false positives through high sensitivity and specificity. This research project aimed to investigate Apolipoprotein-A1 (Apo-A1) and Apolipoprotein-A2 (Apo-A1) as potential screening biomarkers originating from urine samples of bladder cancer patients, where the urine samples were collected from Chang Gung Hospital. Both Apo-A1 and Apo-A2 show great potential as biomarkers for the early detection of bladder cancer. By improving the accuracy of sensitivity and specificity of urine-based biomarkers it could enhance early screening and detection leading to better patient health. Identifying and validating the sensitivity and specificity of Apo-A1 & Apo-A2 as a bladder cancer biomarker involves combining techniques such as protein gel electrophoresis with silver staining and western blotting. The results of analysis showed markedly stronger band intensities for both Apo-A1 and Apo-A2 in urine samples from bladder cancer patients compared to those from healthy individuals. An attempt to develop Lateral Flow Immunoassay as a screening tool for bladder cancer demonstrated successful visualization of control spots, which indicated proper assay function. However, this work needs further optimisation and improvement.