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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples
07:03

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Published on: October 2, 2020

Cancer Stem Cell-Targeted Therapies in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Olfa Rebai1, Mohamed Amri2, Sami Fattouch1

  • 1National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), LR21ES02, Laboratory of EcoChemistry, University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia.

Cancer Investigation
|August 19, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) shows promise in treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Therapies significantly reduced CSC viability, with combination treatments being most effective, warranting further clinical investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are implicated in chemoresistance, metastasis, and relapse in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
  • A comprehensive synthesis of evidence for CSC-targeted therapies in TNBC is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and synthesize the evidence for CSC-targeted therapies in TNBC.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of these therapies in reducing CSC viability and identify optimal treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2010-2025).
  • Meta-analysis of effect sizes from 12 eligible studies (540 TNBC samples) using a random-effects model.
  • Adherence to PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

Main Results:

  • CSC-targeted therapies significantly reduced CSC viability (SMD = -1.12; 95% CI: -1.45 to -0.79; p < 0.001).
  • Combination CSC-targeted therapies demonstrated superior efficacy compared to single-agent approaches.
  • Moderate heterogeneity (I² = 52%) and no significant publication bias were observed.

Conclusions:

  • CSC-targeted therapies represent a promising strategy for treating TNBC.
  • Combination therapies warrant further investigation due to superior efficacy.
  • These preclinical findings support the initiation of clinical trials to validate CSC-targeted approaches in TNBC patients.
Keywords:
ALDHCD44Cancer stem cellsChemoresistanceMeta-analysisTargeted therapyTriple-negative breast cancerWnt signalling

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