The Northeastern Section of the American Urological Association, Inc.

We will test the hypothesis that treatment of bladder cancer with certain chemotherapy agents results in maximal potentiation of the bladder cancer tumor immune microenvironment for optimal combination with immune checkpoint therapy. This research will benefit patients with bladder cancer because it will elucidate the mechanism underlying how combined chemotherapy plus ICT synergizes to improve outcome and evaluate whether a non-cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimen can effectively treat bladder cancer when combined with ICT. These findings will allow us to design rational clinical trials with high likelihood for success, leading to improved treatment options for patients with bladder cancer.