C.R. Chitambar

Introduction The excessive utilization of antibiotics has triggered a pervasive emergence of antimicrobial resistance, posing an escalating threat to healthcare systems [[1], [2], [3]]. As the development of novel antibiotics dwindles, exploring bacteria's nutritional weaknesses as a strategy to tackle multidrug-resistant bacterial infections emerges as an unconventional yet highly effective approach [[4], [5], [6]].

Bladder cancer (BCa), as the most common malignant tumor of the urinary system, is also the most common tumor worldwide [1], [2]. Bladder cancer occurs due to both intrinsic genetic factors and extrinsic environmental factors. The two clear risk factors are smoking and occupational exposure to aromatic amine chemicals, and cigarette smoking is the most recognized risk factor for bladder cancer [3].

Macrophages, a vital component of cellular immunity, possess both infection-sensing capabilities and antibacterial effects [1]. When bacteria invade the host, macrophages, as “the front-line guards”, sense bacteria and actively phagocytose them, leading to bacterial destruction in the phagolysosome [2]. However, some bacteria have evolved potent evasion mechanisms to survive and replicate within the hostile macrophages [3].