Modern breast cancer therapy: from tamoxifen to T-cell engineering

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to conduct a systematic literature review of high-technology methods in breast cancer treatment. Material and methods. To select information sources, a global search was used using the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and RSCI databases. The search included the analysis of metadata by keywords, and relevant publications were used for full-text search. The review used 55 publications from 2001 to 2021. Most of the articles were published over the past 7 years. Results. Modern literature data presented in this review prove that long-term studies based on histological and immunological features of tumor development are very important for improving survival in breast cancer. Clinical treatment protocols that were based primarily on the anatomical characteristics of the disease are now switching to the biological mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis. Drugs targeting estrogen receptors play an important role in systemic therapy and make it possible to correct the mechanisms responsible for endocrine resistance. Targeted therapy targeting the HER2 receptor, especially in an antibody-drug conjugate combination, has associated cytotoxic therapy with anti-HER2 antibodies. Modern methods of biological therapy and cell engineering make it possible to develop methods for treating triple-negative breast cancer based on the regulation of the microenvironment, mechanisms of repair, immunosuppression, and the creation of a target from a larger repertoire of both surface and intracellular antigens. Conclusion. Promising strategies based on the use of signaling and metabolic pathways, cell surface molecules, and cell engineering increase the effectiveness of treatment and improve the progression-free and overall survival in breast cancer patients.