Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women comprising 16% of all female cancers. The disease shows high intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges with unpredictable clinical outcome and response to existing therapy. Mounting ev...

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Main Authors: Nigatu Tuasha, Beyene Petros
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Scientifica
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/4736091
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author Nigatu Tuasha
Beyene Petros
author_facet Nigatu Tuasha
Beyene Petros
author_sort Nigatu Tuasha
collection DOAJ
description Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women comprising 16% of all female cancers. The disease shows high intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges with unpredictable clinical outcome and response to existing therapy. Mounting evidence is ascertaining that breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation, progression, recurrence, evolution, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therapeutics selectively targeting the CSCs based on distinct surface molecular markers and enhanced intracellular activities of these cells continue to evolve and hold significant promise. Having plethora of heterogeneity accompanied with failure of existing conventional therapeutics and poor prognosis, the present review focuses on elucidating the main signaling pathways in breast CSCs as major therapeutic targets. The role of developments in nanomedicine and miRNA as targeted delivery of therapeutic anticancer agents is also highlighted.
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spelling doaj-art-e7f436f18916435580c7536ccf67fbb72025-08-20T03:21:02ZengWileyScientifica2090-908X2020-01-01202010.1155/2020/47360914736091Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and TherapeuticsNigatu Tuasha0Beyene Petros1Addis Ababa University, College of Natural Science, Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaAddis Ababa University, College of Natural Science, Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaBreast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women comprising 16% of all female cancers. The disease shows high intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges with unpredictable clinical outcome and response to existing therapy. Mounting evidence is ascertaining that breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation, progression, recurrence, evolution, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therapeutics selectively targeting the CSCs based on distinct surface molecular markers and enhanced intracellular activities of these cells continue to evolve and hold significant promise. Having plethora of heterogeneity accompanied with failure of existing conventional therapeutics and poor prognosis, the present review focuses on elucidating the main signaling pathways in breast CSCs as major therapeutic targets. The role of developments in nanomedicine and miRNA as targeted delivery of therapeutic anticancer agents is also highlighted.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/4736091
spellingShingle Nigatu Tuasha
Beyene Petros
Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics
Scientifica
title Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics
title_full Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics
title_fullStr Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics
title_full_unstemmed Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics
title_short Heterogeneity of Tumors in Breast Cancer: Implications and Prospects for Prognosis and Therapeutics
title_sort heterogeneity of tumors in breast cancer implications and prospects for prognosis and therapeutics
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/4736091
work_keys_str_mv AT nigatutuasha heterogeneityoftumorsinbreastcancerimplicationsandprospectsforprognosisandtherapeutics
AT beyenepetros heterogeneityoftumorsinbreastcancerimplicationsandprospectsforprognosisandtherapeutics