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Review
. 2024 Apr 19;16(8):571-587.
doi: 10.2217/epi-2023-0430. Online ahead of print.

The regulation of microRNAs on chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer: a recent update

Li-Jun Yan  1 , Andy T Y Lau  1 , Yan-Ming Xu  1
Affiliations
Review

The regulation of microRNAs on chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer: a recent update

Li-Jun Yan et al. Epigenomics. .

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has negative expressions of ER, PR and HER2. Due to the insensitivity to both endocrine therapy and HER2-targeted therapy, the main treatment method for TNBC is cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, the curative effect of chemotherapy is limited because of the existence of acquired or intrinsic multidrug resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in malignant tumors and involved in tumor occurrence and progression. Interestingly, growing studies show that miRNAs are involved in chemoresistance in TNBC. Thus, targeting dysregulated miRNAs could be a plausible way for better treatment of TNBC. Here, we present the updated knowledge of miRNAs associated with chemoresistance in TNBC, which may be helpful for the early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this life-threatening disease.

Keywords: chemoresistance; microRNA; multidrug resistance; therapeutic targets; triple-negative breast cancer.

Plain language summary

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer, which is characterized by high rates of invasion, recurrence and distant metastasis. At present, chemotherapy is still the main treatment option for TNBC. However, after some time, the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs gradually decreases, which makes tumor cells develop chemoresistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNA molecules with length of 19–25 nucleotides that do not encode proteins. The expression level of miRNAs in cancer is usually abnormal. More and more studies have shown that miRNAs are involved in cancer development and associated with drug resistance. Therefore, this review summarizes the miRNAs associated with chemoresistance in TNBC.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of molecular subtypes of breast cancer in the population. Breast cancer can be divided into four subtypes: Luminal A subtype, Luminal B subtype, HER2-enriched subtype, and basal-like subtype/TNBC. The proportion of each subtype in the population is represented by pie charts. TNBC: Triple-negative breast cancer.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Biosynthesis of microRNA. The process of miRNA biosynthesis includes gene transcription, processing of primary transcription product (pri-miRNA) and generation of mature miRNA.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
MiRNAs involved in drug efflux in triple-negative breast cancer. Some miRNAs affected the chemoresistance of triple-negative breast cancer through regulating drug efflux transporters, such as ABCG2, ABCC3 and ABCB1.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
MiRNAs involved in apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer. MiRNAs could promote or inhibit chemoresistance of triple-negative breast cancer by regulating apoptosis-related factors.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
MiRNAs involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition in triple-negative breast cancer. EMT can be regulated by miRNAs and participate in chemoresistance. EMT: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
MiRNAs involved in genomic instability in triple-negative breast cancer. Genomic instability is the key to tumor development and tumor chemoresistance. DNA repair and autophagy are the main factors affecting genomic instability. Some miRNAs were involved in DNA repair and autophagy by regulating downstream molecules, thus affecting chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
MiRNAs involved in signaling pathways in triple-negative breast cancer. Studies showed that miRNAs regulated the development of drug resistance in triple-negative breast cancer via the participation in modulating various signaling pathways.
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    2. • Suggests that chemotherapy is still the main treatment method for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but it is easy to produce chemoresistance.