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Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model
Published on: March 20, 2020
Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Latest Research and Clinical Prospects
Rida Fatima Ahmed1, Farwah Jameel2, Muhammad Irfan1
1Department of Biotechnology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) do not express estrogen receptor (ER), HER2/neu, or progesterone receptor (PR) and generally have a poor prognosis with elevated chances of recurrence. They constitute about 15% of breast cancer patients. TNBC, when diagnosed at stage II, has a recurrence of about 60%, while the risk of recurrence for a hormone receptor-positive cancer is about 10-20%. This particular breast cancer has no targeted treatment at the molecular level; unlike other subtypes of breast cancer, patients have only chemotherapy and radiation to rely on. They cannot benefit from endocrine therapy. Research based on cancer immunology and translational immunotherapy has been supported by early trial successes. However, major questions still exist concerning these therapeutic approaches in practice. Promising new therapies hold the potential to cure a wide range of tumor types, including those which cannot be treated with conventional therapies. A better insight into the immunogenicity of TNBC has resulted in clinical studies of various immunotherapeutic agents. This review focuses on current immunotherapies for TNBC, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, dendritic cell therapy, adoptive cell therapy, and oncolytic viral therapy.
Insights
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted treatments, leading to poor prognoses. Current research explores immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors and cell therapies to improve outcomes for these patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted therapies, unlike other breast cancer subtypes.
- TNBC accounts for 15% of breast cancers and has a high recurrence rate, especially at stage II (60%).
- Patients with TNBC have limited treatment options, primarily relying on chemotherapy and radiation, and do not benefit from endocrine therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current immunotherapeutic strategies for triple-negative breast cancer.
- To highlight the potential of novel therapies in treating TNBC.
- To discuss the progress and challenges in applying cancer immunology to TNBC treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on TNBC immunotherapies.
- Focus on clinical studies involving various immunotherapeutic agents.
- Exploration of immune checkpoint inhibitors, dendritic cell therapy, adoptive cell therapy, and oncolytic viral therapy.
Main Results:
- Immunotherapy research, particularly in cancer immunology, shows promise for TNBC.
- Clinical studies are investigating diverse immunotherapeutic agents for TNBC.
- A deeper understanding of TNBC immunogenicity is driving these investigations.
Conclusions:
- Immunotherapies offer potential new treatment avenues for TNBC.
- Further research is needed to address practical challenges in immunotherapy application.
- Novel therapies hold promise for treating TNBC, including cases resistant to conventional treatments.
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