Gemcitabine chemotherapy is the first-line therapy for the treatment of bladder cancer; however, due to chemoresistance linked to the depressed expression of cellular membrane human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1), the facilitative transporter of gemcitabine (GEM), its use is limited in chemotherapeutic regimens. Here, SLC29A1 is linked to urinary bladder cancer.