Emerging Intrinsic Therapeutic Targets for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer worldwide, and it is also the main cause of cancer-related death in women. Survival rates for female breast cancer have significantly improved due to early diagnosis and better treatment. Nevertheless, for patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer, the survival rate is still low, reflecting a need for the development of new therapies. Mechanistic insights into metastatic breast cancer have provided excellent opportunities for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Although high-throughput approaches have identified several therapeutic targets in metastatic disease, some subtypes such as triple-negative breast cancer do not yet have an apparent tumor-specific receptor or pathway to target. Therefore, exploring new druggable targets in metastatic disease is a high clinical priority. In this review, we summarize the emerging intrinsic therapeutic targets for metastatic breast cancer, including cyclin D-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, the insulin/IGF1R pathway, the EGFR/HER family, the JAK/STAT pathway, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP), TROP-2, Src kinases, histone modification enzymes, activated growth factor receptors, androgen receptors, breast cancer stem cells, matrix metalloproteinases, and immune checkpoint proteins. We also review the latest development in breast cancer immunotherapy. Drugs that target these molecules/pathways are either already FDA-approved or currently being tested in clinical trials.

Automated summary

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Although survival rates have improved for early-stage breast cancer patients, those with advanced or metastatic breast cancer still have low survival rates, necessitating the development of new therapies. Mechanistic insights into metastatic breast cancer have provided opportunities for developing novel therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes the emerging therapeutic targets for metastatic breast cancer, including various signaling pathways, growth factor receptors, immune checkpoint proteins, and breast cancer stem cells. Therapeutic drugs targeting these molecules/pathways are either FDA-approved or under clinical trial.