Urology | Featured Specialties | UC Davis Health

Researchers at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center have launched a community-based study examining how pesticide exposure may affect bladder health and cancer risk among Hmong farmworkers in California’s Central Valley. The project seeks to better understand the types and levels of pesticides used by small-scale Hmong farmers, and the potential health effects of repeated exposure.

A $4 million NIH grant will support UC Davis researchers developing a bioengineered graft designed to improve bladder reconstruction for children with neurogenic bladder caused by spina bifida or spinal cord injury. Pediatric urologic surgeon Eric Kurzrock, M.D., and bioengineer Aijun Wang, Ph.D., are collaborating to develop vascularized grafts that can grow their own blood supply.

Researchers at UC Davis identified a mechanism that may explain how cancers develop resistance to BET inhibitors, a promising class of anti-tumor drugs. The study found that when BET inhibitors target BRD4, cancer cells increase production of a related protein, BRD2, allowing tumors to survive and grow.