Significant differences in CD276 (B7H3) expression between female and male bladder cancer tissue samples: An exploratory study

Acknowledgments

We thank T. Abruzzese, C. Bock, V. Kramer-Potapenia, M.Sc., and M. Kühs for their excellent technical assistance, and Chaim Goziga for expert help in the preparation of the artwork.

Statement of ethics

This study was approved by the Joint Ethics Committee of the University of Tuebingen and University of Tuebingen Hospital under file numbers 341/2002 and 804/2020/B02, respectively. The study was conducted in compliance with the WMA Declaration of Helsinki on the ethical principles for medical research and in accordance with all relevant guidelines and regulations.

Conflicts of interest statement

AS is an Editor-in-Chief of Current Urology and confirms no involvement in any stage of this article’s review process, ensuring unbiased editorial decision-making. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Funding source

This project was supported in part by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (GRK2543 # 429049495), European Commission (EURO-Stars # E! 115301/01QE2133C), Leuze-Stiftung (# D30.34666), and institutional funds.

Author contributions

SW, LER, JH, WKA, BA: Laboratory experiments, experimental data generation, data evaluation, manuscript draft preparation, and artwork; NH, BA, JH, SW: Provision and preparation of clinical tissue samples; VB: Expert pathological evaluation; AS, WKA: Funding, study design, project management, and supervision; All authors: Revisions of the manuscript and artwork.

Data availability

Data and materials will be disclosed to colleagues in academia upon written, justified, and comprehensible requests from the corresponding author.

References

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[2] American Cancer Society. Key statistics for bladder cancer. 2023. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bladder-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed October 1st, 2025.

[3] Benzon B, Zhao SG, Haffner MC, et al. Correlation of B7-H 3 with androgen receptor, immune pathways and poor outcome in prostate cancer: An expression-based analysis. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2017; 20(1):28-35.

[4] Deng J, Ma M, Wang D, et al. Expression and clinical significance of immune checkpoint regulator B7-H 3 (CD276) in human meningioma. World Neurosurg 2020;135:e12-e18.

[5] Zhu X, Hu C, Zhang Z, et al. PD-L1 and B7-H 3 are effective prognostic factors and potential therapeutic targets for high-risk thyroid cancer. Endocr Pathol 2024; 35(3):230-244.