Collagen reorganization at the bladder cancer tumor-stromal interface facilitates local invasion

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common malignant tumor worldwide that poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its high recurrence rate and aggressiveness. An in-depth understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is essential to elucidating cancer progression and identifying prognostic biomarkers. Collagen fibers play a pivotal role in the TME, and their dynamic reorganization drives tumor invasion. Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) can accurately characterize the structure and dynamic remodeling of collagen fibers in the TME. MPM has the advantages of high-resolution imaging, noninvasive evaluation, and label-free detection. Building on the study of tumor-associated collagen signatures (TACS) in breast cancer, this study employed MPM imaging to investigate the spatial relationships and structures of BCa tumor cells and collagen fibers. Six TACSBCa signatures were identified, suggesting that collagen remodeling in the TME could be a prognostic biomarker for BCa. This finding deepens our understanding of BCa biology and highlights the translational potential of collagen imaging in clinical applications.