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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down
08:59

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Published on: December 11, 2017

Core genes drive treatment resistance in triple-negative breast cancer: characteristics, mechanisms, intervention

Zi-Xu Zhang1, Wei Zhao2, Yu-Xuan Xiao1

  • 1School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang Medical College, No. 146 Huanghe North Street, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning, China.

Biochemical Pharmacology
|July 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) drug resistance is driven by specific genes that promote tumor growth and metastasis. Targeting these genes with inhibitors offers a promising strategy to restore treatment sensitivity.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genetics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive and heterogeneous cancer.
  • TNBC exhibits rapid development of resistance to various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review primary resistance genes in TNBC and their mechanisms of action.
  • To identify key genes like PSENs, ATM, PIK3CA, and CDK4/6 driving treatment failure.
  • To propose targeted intervention strategies for overcoming drug resistance in TNBC.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review summarizing resistance genes and their characteristics.
  • Analysis of gene overexpression and pathway activation in TNBC.
  • Identification of targeted therapies and combination strategies.

Main Results:

  • Overexpressed genes regulate cancer cell proliferation, survival, and drug resistance via DNA repair, stem cell properties, microtubule stability, and pathway activation.
  • Key genes (PSENs, ATM, PIK3CA, CDK4/6) activate Notch, Wnt/β-catenin, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways, promoting tumor growth and metastasis.
  • Targeted interventions including small-molecule inhibitors and combination therapies show potential.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding resistance gene mechanisms is crucial for TNBC treatment.
  • Targeted inhibition of specific genes and pathways can overcome drug resistance.
  • Proposed strategies provide a theoretical basis for improving TNBC therapeutic outcomes.
Keywords:
ATMCDK4Drug-resistant genePIK3CAPSENsTNBC

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