Breast cancer immunotherapy: a comprehensive review

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Cancer remains a significant global health challenge despite advancements in treatment.
• Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a promising cancer treatment modality utilizing immune cells.
• Existing ACT methods face challenges like graft rejection, necessitating innovative solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of breast cancer (BC) therapy, from conventional methods to advanced cell-based strategies.
• To highlight novel immunotherapeutic technologies, focusing on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells and aptamer technology for BC.
• To assess the potential of natural killer (NK) cells as a safer alternative in CAR-based therapies.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for cancer treatment.
• Analysis of genetic engineering techniques, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology.
• Exploration of aptamer technology and its role in cancer immunotherapy.

Main Results:

• Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is FDA-approved for certain blood cancers.
• Natural killer (NK) cells are emerging as a safer candidate for CAR-based therapies, potentially overcoming rejection issues.
• Aptamer technology shows significant promise for enhancing BC immunotherapy.

Conclusions:

• ACT, particularly with engineered immune cells like CAR NK cells, represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment.
• Novel technologies such as CAR and aptamers offer new avenues for effective breast cancer immunotherapy.
• Continued research into minimizing ACT complications and exploring new cell types like NK cells is crucial for future therapeutic success.