title: Bladder cancer and urothelial impairment: the role of TRPV1 as potential drug target.
abstract: Urothelium, in addition to its primary function of barrier, is now understood to act as a complex system of cell communication that exhibits specialized sensory properties in the regulation of physiological or pathological stimuli. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that bladder inflammation and neoplastic cell growth, the two most representative pathological conditions of the lower urinary tract, may arise from a primary defective urothelial lining. Transient receptor potential vanilloid channel 1 (TRPV1), a receptor widely distributed in lower urinary tract structures and involved in the physiological micturition reflex, was described to have a pathophysiological role in inflammatory conditions and in the genesis and development of urothelial cancer. In our opinion new compounds, such as curcumin, the major component of turmeric Curcuma longa, reported to potentiate the effects of the chemotherapeutic agents used in the management of recurrent urothelial cancer in vitro and also identified as one of several compounds to own the vanillyl structure required to work like a TRPV1 agonist, could be thought as complementary in the clinical management of both the recurrences and the inflammatory effects caused by the endoscopic resection or intravesical chemotherapy administration or could be combined with adjuvant agents to potentiate their antitumoral effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mistretta
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolò Maria
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Buffi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lughezzani
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lista
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abrate
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dell'Oglio
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montorsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guazzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, 20127 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazzeri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels