Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)
is the most aggressive subtype
of breast cancer, but an effective targeted therapy has not been well-established
so far. Considering the lack of effective targets, where do we go
next in the current TNBC drug development? A promising intervention
for TNBC might lie in de novo small-molecule drugs
that precisely target different molecular characteristics of TNBC.
However, an ideal single-target drug discovery still faces a huge
challenge. Alternatively, other new emerging strategies, such as dual-target
drug, drug repurposing, and combination strategies, may provide new
insight into the improvement of TNBC therapeutics. In this review,
we focus on summarizing the current situation of a series of candidate
small-molecule drugs in TNBC therapy, including single-target drugs,
dual-target drugs, as well as drug repurposing and combination strategies
that will together shed new light on the future directions targeting
TNBC vulnerabilities with small-molecule drugs for future therapeutic
purposes.