Programmed cell death in triple-negative breast cancer
Yaqi Liu1, Jinwei He1, Jialu Chen1
1School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
|October 2, 2025
Summary
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment is challenging due to a lack of targets. This review explores programmed cell death (PCD) pathways like apoptosis and ferroptosis for novel combinatorial therapies and improved immunotherapy in TNBC.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking standard therapeutic targets.
- TNBC's resistance to conventional treatments necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
- Programmed cell death (PCD) pathways are increasingly recognized for their role in cancer progression and treatment response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanistic functions and therapeutic implications of various PCD pathways in TNBC.
- To propose a framework for leveraging interconnected PCD pathways for targeted interventions.
- To analyze the crosstalk between PCD and immunotherapy for synergistic treatment modalities.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of programmed cell death pathways (apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis) in TNBC.
- Analysis of mechanistic functions, interrelationships, and therapeutic potential of these pathways.
- Examination of the interplay between PCD and immune-based therapies.
Main Results:
- PCD pathways exhibit complex interconnections with shared mediators and features like inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Targeting these interconnected pathways offers opportunities for combinatorial and synergistic therapeutic strategies.
- PCD pathways are highly relevant to immunotherapy outcomes, suggesting combined treatment approaches.
Conclusions:
- An integrated network of PCD pathways provides a basis for novel targeted interventions in TNBC.
- Modulating PCD pathways can amplify therapeutic efficacy and enhance response to immunotherapy.
- Overcoming challenges like tumor diversity and resistance is crucial for clinical translation of these strategies.
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