Advances in understanding the role and mechanisms of tumor stem cells in HER2-positive breast cancer treatment resistance (Review)

Linfei Xu; Fang Han; Liang Zhu; Wenli Ding; Kexin Zhang; Chengxia Kan; Ningning Hou; Qinying Li; Xiaodong Sun

doi:10.3892/ijo.2023.5496

Advances in understanding the role and mechanisms of tumor stem cells in HER2-positive breast cancer treatment resistance (Review)

Int J Oncol. 2023 Apr;62(4):48. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2023.5496. Epub 2023 Mar 3.

Authors

Linfei Xu^#¹, Fang Han^#¹, Liang Zhu¹, Wenli Ding², Kexin Zhang¹, Chengxia Kan¹, Ningning Hou¹, Qinying Li¹, Xiaodong Sun¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261031, P.R. China.
² Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261031, P.R. China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Approximately 15-20% of breast carcinomas exhibit human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) protein overexpression. HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous and aggressive subtype with poor prognosis and high relapse risk. Although several anti-HER2 drugs have achieved substantial efficacy, certain patients with HER2-positive BC relapse due to drug resistance after a treatment period. There is increasing evidence that BC stem cells (BCSCs) drive therapeutic resistance and a high rate of BC recurrence. BCSCs may regulate cellular self-renewal and differentiation, as well as invasive metastasis and treatment resistance. Efforts to target BCSCs may yield new methods to improve patient outcomes. In the present review, the roles of BCSCs in the occurrence, development and management of BC treatment resistance were summarized; BCSC-targeted strategies for the treatment of HER2-positive BC were also discussed.

Keywords: HER2-positive; breast cancer; breast cancer stem cells; drug resistance; targeted therapy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aggression
Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Breast Neoplasms* / genetics
Cell Differentiation
Cell Self Renewal
Female
Humans
Neoplastic Stem Cells

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 32101029, 82170865 and 81870593), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China (grant no. ZR2020QB164) and Special Funds for Taishan Scholars Project of Shandong Province (grant no. tsqn202211365) and Yuandu scholars (grant no. 20212022).