The Role of Breast Cancer Stem Cells in Chemoresistance and Metastasis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Cancers

Lin He¹  Neda Wick¹  Yan Peng¹  Sharon Koorse Germans¹ 

[1] Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA;

关键词: cancer stem cells;    breast cancer stem cells;    tumor biomarker;    triple negative breast cancer;    chemoresistance;    metastasis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cancers13246209

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains an aggressive disease due to the lack of targeted therapies and low rate of response to chemotherapy that is currently the main treatment modality for TNBC. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small subpopulation of breast tumors and recognized as drivers of tumorigenesis. TNBC tumors are characterized as being enriched for BCSCs. Studies have demonstrated the role of BCSCs as the source of metastatic disease and chemoresistance in TNBC. Multiple targets against BCSCs are now under investigation, with the considerations of either selectively targeting BCSCs or co-targeting BCSCs and non-BCSCs (majority of tumor cells). This review article provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the role of BCSCs in TNBC and the identification of cancer stem cell biomarkers, paving the way for the development of new targeted therapies. The review also highlights the resultant discovery of cancer stem cell targets in TNBC and the ongoing clinical trials treating chemoresistant breast cancer. We aim to provide insights into better understanding the mutational landscape of BCSCs and exploring potential molecular signaling pathways targeting BCSCs to overcome chemoresistance and prevent metastasis in TNBC, ultimately to improve the overall survival of patients with this devastating disease.

【 授权许可】

Unknown