ALKBH1 and urothelial carcinoma: ALKBH2 and ALKBH3 share the ability of E.coli AlkB to directly reverse nucleic acid damage in vitro (Falnes et al, 2002; Trewick et al, 2002), and we reported in a recent study that ALKBH8 has important roles in the survival and progression of human urothelial carcinoma both in vitro and in vivo (Shimada et al, 2009).