Engineered macrophages in breast Cancer: bridging targeted therapy and advanced drug delivery

Breast cancer (BC) remains a major global health challenge, with significant mortality despite advancements in conventional therapies. Immunotherapy, particularly through engineered macrophages, is emerging as a promising strategy for BC treatment. Macrophages play key roles in both tumor progression and immune modulation within the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review explores current engineering techniques to enhance the therapeutic potential of macrophages in BC immunotherapy. We discuss cytokine engineering, tumor-targeting receptors like chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophages, and novel drug delivery platforms, including engineered macrophages as direct drug carriers and as carriers for nanoparticles. The review also addresses the challenges in translating these strategies to clinical applications and highlights future directions for improving therapeutic outcomes in BC.