Therapeutic options for triple-negative breast cancers with defective homologous recombination.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in developed countries, affecting more than a million women per year worldwide. Over the last decades, our increasing understanding of breast cancer biology has led to the development of endocrine agents against hormone receptor-positive tumors and targeted therapeutics against HER2-expressing tumors. However, no targeted therapy is available for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, lacking expression of hormone receptors and HER2. Overlap between BRCA1-mutated breast cancers and triple-negative tumors suggests that an important part of the triple-negative tumors may respond to therapeutics targeting BRCA1-deficient cells. Here, we review the features shared between triple-negative, basal-like and BRCA1-related breast cancers. We also discuss the development of novel therapeutic strategies to target BRCA1-mutated tumors and triple-negative tumors with BRCA1-like features. Finally, we highlight the utility of mouse models for BRCA1-mutated breast cancer to optimize (combination) therapy and to understand drug resistance.
Jaspers
Janneke E
JE
Division of Molecular Biology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Rottenberg
Sven
S
Jonkers
Jos
J
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004260:DNA Repair; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D000067856:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
D000067856:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human