Mechanisms of RNA alternative splicing dysregulation in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive breast cancer subtype with poor prognosis. RNA alternative splicing dysregulation plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of TNBC. This article systematically introduces the basic process of RNA splicing and then focuses on reviewing the aberrant alternative splicing events and their biological effects in TNBC: 1) Multiple splicing-related factors promote tumor cell proliferation and mediate chemotherapy resistance by regulating the alternative splicing of genes involved in cell survival and drug response; 2) dysregulation of splicing regulatory networks leads to altered splicing of multiple metastasis-related genes, promoting tumor invasion and metastasis; 3) aberrant alternative splicing events participate in tumor progression by affecting the expression of DNA damage repair genes; 4) dysregulation of alternative splicing is also involved in the regulation of tumor immune evasion and stem cell properties. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying RNA alternative splicing dysregulation in TNBC is essential for elucidating its molecular pathology, identifying novel prognostic markers, and developing therapeutic strategies.