Background:Existing neoadjuvant therapies for hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer have not achieved optimal clinical outcomes, thus prompting the investigation of novel treatment strategies. Given the emerging significance of HDAC inhibitors in the management of advanced breast cancer, this study investigated the efficacy and safety of chidamide plus chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy for patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer. Methods:This single arm, open-label, multicentre, phase 2 trial was conducted at three hospitals in China. Patients aged 18-75 years who had treatment-naïve, stage II-III HR+/HER2- breast cancer with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1 were enrolled. Patients received oral chidamide at a dose of 20 mg on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of each 21-day cycle. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of four cycles of epirubicin (90 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) administered every three weeks, followed by four cycles of docetaxel (100 mg/m2) administered every three weeks. The primary endpoint was the rate of residual cancer burden (RCB) 0-I. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05400993. Findings:Between May 23, 2022 and July 6, 2023, a total of 54 female patients (median age: 50 years [range, 26-75]) were recruited. The RCB 0-I rate was 35.2% (19 of 54, 95% confidence interval [CI], 22.7%-49.4%). The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (70%) and decreased white blood cell (67%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Interpretation:The combination of chidamide and chemotherapy shows the potential to be an alternative neoadjuvant therapy option for patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer. Funding:Shenyang Municipal Science and Technology Program (Grant No. 22-321-32-18), Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co., Ltd.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are widely used for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, but their efficacy in the neoadjuvant setting remains under investigation. The MUKDEN 06 trial (NCT05426486), a multicentre, randomised, phase 2b study, compared ARX788 (anti-HER2 ADC) plus pyrotinib (TKI) with the standard neoadjuvant regimen of docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCbHP) in female patients with early or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. The primary endpoint was the pathological complete response (pCR, ypT0/is, ypN0) rate, analyzed in the intention-to-treat population. pCR was achieved in 70.6% (48/68) of patients receiving ARX788 plus pyrotinib, compared to 51.5% (35/68) in the TCbHP group, with a significant absolute difference of 19.1% (95% CI, 2.7-34.6; p = 0.023). No treatment-related deaths occurred. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were diarrhea and hepatic dysfunction in the ARX788 plus pyrotinib group, and fatigue, nausea and anorexia in the TCbHP group. Interstitial lung disease (ILD)/pneumonitis and ocular events were observed with ARX788 plus pyrotinib, indicating a distinct safety profile. These findings offer clinical insights into the potential of dual HER2-targeted blockade with an ADC and TKI as an optional neoadjuvant strategy for patients with early or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.

CDK4/6 inhibitors are routinely recommended agents for the treatment of advanced HR+HER2- breast cancer. However, their therapeutic effectiveness in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains controversial. Here, we observed that the expression level of fibrous sheath interacting protein 1 (FSIP1) could predict the treatment response of TNBC to CDK4/6 inhibitors. High FSIP1 expression level was related to a poor prognosis in TNBC, which was associated with the ability of FSIP1 to promote tumor cell proliferation. FSIP1 downregulation led to slowed tumor growth and reduced lung metastasis in TNBC. FSIP1 knockout caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and reduced treatment sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors by inactivating the Nanog/CCND1/CDK4/6 pathway. FSIP1 could form a complex with Nanog, protecting it from ubiquitination and degradation, which may facilitate the rapid cell cycle transition from G0/G1 to S phase and exhibit enhanced sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Our findings suggest that TNBC patients with high FSIP1 expression levels may be suitable candidates for CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment.

Breast cancer is characterized by significant molecular heterogeneity; therefore, there are distinct clinical features, treatment modalities, and prognostic outcomes across its various molecular subtypes. In the era of precision medicine, liquid biopsy has emerged as a convenient and minimally invasive technique capable of dynamically representing the comprehensive tumor gene spectrum. This review systematically elaborates the clinical value of liquid biopsy as a breakthrough tool for precision diagnosis and treatment in breast cancer through dynamic detection of key biomarkers, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), exosomes, and non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Specific genetic mutations and methylation signatures in ctDNA can be applied to early breast cancer screening, minimal residual disease monitoring, and tracking drug resistance mechanisms. CTCs enumeration (≥1/7.5 mL in early-stage cancer or ≥ 5/7.5 mL in metastatic cancer) and PD-L1 expression levels demonstrate direct correlations with prognostic stratification and the efficacy of immunotherapy. As the specificity and sensitivity of liquid biopsy continue to improve, personalized treatment strategies, informed by biomarker analysis and targeted precision therapies, have unveiled new avenues of hope for patients with breast cancer. However, several challenges persist in the practical application of liquid biopsy. Despite persistent challenges, such as insufficient standardization and difficulties in resolving low-abundance variants, future advancements should focus on multi-omics integration and AI-driven technological breakthroughs to overcome bottlenecks in clinical translation. This review summarizes cutting-edge liquid biopsy technologies for identifying clinically significant molecular biomarkers, focusing on discussing critical challenges in the strategies to advance precision oncology applications for optimized treatment guidance and disease surveillance in breast cancer.

AbstractPostoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a frequent neurological complication encountered during the perioperative period with unclear mechanisms and no effective treatments. Recent research into the pathogenesis of POCD has primarily focused on neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, changes in neural synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter imbalances. Given the high-energy metabolism of neurons and their critical dependency on mitochondria, mitochondrial dysfunction directly affects neuronal function. Additionally, as the primary organelles generating reactive oxygen species, mitochondria are closely linked to the pathological processes of neuroinflammation. Surgery and anesthesia can induce mitochondrial dysfunction, increase mitochondrial oxidative stress, and disrupt mitochondrial quality-control mechanisms via various pathways, hence serving as key initiators of the POCD pathological process. We conducted a review on the role and potential mechanisms of mitochondria in postoperative cognitive dysfunction by consulting relevant literature from the PubMed and EMBASE databases spanning the past 25 years. Our findings indicate that surgery and anesthesia can inhibit mitochondrial respiration, thereby reducing ATP production, decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential, promoting mitochondrial fission, inducing mitochondrial calcium buffering abnormalities and iron accumulation, inhibiting mitophagy, and increasing mitochondrial oxidative stress. Mitochondrial dysfunction and damage can ultimately lead to impaired neuronal function, abnormal synaptic transmission, impaired synthesis and release of neurotransmitters, and even neuronal death, resulting in cognitive dysfunction. Targeted mitochondrial therapies have shown positive outcomes, holding promise as a novel treatment for POCD.

Distant metastasis is the major cause of death in patients with breast cancer. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to breast cancer metastasis. Regulator of G protein-signaling (RGS) proteins modulates metastasis in various cancers. This study identified a novel role for RGS10 in EMT and metastasis in breast cancer. RGS10 protein levels were significantly lower in breast cancer tissues compared to normal breast tissues, and deficiency in RGS10 protein predicted a worse prognosis in patients with breast cancer. RGS10 protein levels were lower in the highly aggressive cell line MDA-MB-231 than in the poorly aggressive, less invasive cell lines MCF7 and SKBR3. Silencing RGS10 in SKBR3 cells enhanced EMT and caused SKBR3 cell migration and invasion. The ability of RGS10 to suppress EMT and metastasis in breast cancer was dependent on lipocalin-2 and MIR539-5p . These findings identify RGS10 as a tumor suppressor, prognostic biomarker, and potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

BackgroundImmunotherapy has recently emerged as a treatment strategy which stimulates the human immune system to kill tumor cells. Tumor immunotherapy is based on immune editing, which enhances the antigenicity of tumor cells and increases the tumoricidal effect of immune cells. It also suppresses immunosuppressive molecules, activates or restores immune system function, enhances anti-tumor immune responses, and inhibits the growth f tumor cell. This offers the possibility of reducing mortality in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).Main bodyImmunotherapy approaches for TNBC have been diversified in recent years, with breakthroughs in the treatment of this entity. Research on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has made it possible to identify different molecular subtypes and formulate individualized immunotherapy schedules. This review highlights the unique tumor microenvironment of TNBC and integrates and analyzes the advances in ICI therapy. It also discusses strategies for the combination of ICIs with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and emerging treatment methods such as nanotechnology, ribonucleic acid vaccines, and gene therapy. Currently, numerous ongoing or completed clinical trials are exploring the utilization of immunotherapy in conjunction with existing treatment modalities for TNBC. The objective of these investigations is to assess the effectiveness of various combined immunotherapy approaches and determine the most effective treatment regimens for patients with TNBC.ConclusionThis review provides insights into the approaches used to overcome drug resistance in immunotherapy, and explores the directions of immunotherapy development in the treatment of TNBC.

Background: Emerging data have supported the immunostimulatory role of radiotherapy, which could exert a synergistic effect with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). With proven effective but suboptimal effect of ICI and chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), we designed a pilot study to explore the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plus adebrelimab and chemotherapy in TNBC patients. Methods: Treatment-naïve TNBC patients received two cycles of intravenous adebrelimab (20 mg/kg, every 3 weeks), and SBRT (24 Gy/3 f, every other day) started at the second cycle, then followed by six cycles of adebrelimab plus nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m² on days 1 and 8) and carboplatin (area under the curve 6 mg/mL per min on day 1) every 3 weeks. The surgery was performed within 3–5 weeks after the end of neoadjuvant therapy. Primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR, ypT0/is ypN0). Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), residual cancer burden (RCB) 0-I, and safety. Results: 13 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of therapy. 10 (76.9%) patients completed SBRT and were included in efficacy analysis. 90% (9/10) of patients achieved pCR, both RCB 0-I and ORR reached 100% with three patients achieved complete remission. Adverse events (AEs) of all-grade and grade 3–4 occurred in 92.3% and 53.8%, respectively. One (7.7%) patient had treatment-related serious AEs. No radiation-related dermatitis or death occurred. Conclusions: Adding SBRT to adebrelimab and neoadjuvant chemotherapy led to a substantial proportion of pCR with acceptable toxicities, supporting further exploration of this combination in TNBC patients. Funding: None. Clinical trial number: NCT05132790.

e12617 Background: Both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy only result in trivial pathological complete response rates and moderate objective response rate (ORR) in hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, more promising alternatives are urgently needed. Tucidinostat is an oral subtype-selective histone deacetylase inhibitor that has shown efficacy and safety when used in combination with exemestane in patients with advanced HR+ breast cancer. This MUKDEN 05 study aimed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of tucidinostat and EC-T as a neoadjuvant strategy in patients with HR+/HER2-, stage II-III breast cancer. Methods: This study is a multicenter, single-arm, phase II study. Eligible patients received 20 mg tucidinostat orally twice a week (on days 1, 4, 8, and 11), 2 weeks on, 1 week off. The dose and administration schedule of EC-T were as follows: 4 cycles of epirubicin 90 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, followed by 4 cycles of docetaxel 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of residual cancer burden (RCB) 0-I. Key secondary endpoints included pathological complete response (pCR), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. Results: Between May 2022 and August 2022, a total of 35 patients were enrolled. 27 patients were pathologically evaluable. The remaining 8 patients have completed neoadjuvant treatment and wait for operation. The ratio of RCB 0-I was 37% (95% CI, 23.2-53.7%). ORR was 86% (95% CI, 70.6-93.7%). Four (15%; 95% CI, 5.91-32.5%) patients achieved bpCR, and one (4%; 95% CI, 0.67-18.3%) patients achieved tpCR. Most adverse events (AEs) were grade 1 or 2. Grade 3/4 AEs included neutropenia (21.1%), and thrombocytopenia (15.8%). Conclusions: The combination of Tucidinostat and EC-T had an acceptable safety profile and encouraging clinical responses, offering a neoadjuvant treatment option for patients with early HR+/HER2- breast cancer. Further research is required to validate these findings. Clinical trial information: NCT05400993 .

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent cancers, with a high mortality rate worldwide, seriously impairs patient health. The lack of accurate targets impedes the early screening and diagnosis of HCC and is associated with a poor response to routine therapies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), comprising exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, are lipid bilayer membrane-derived nanometer-sized vesicles. EVs can be secreted from various cancer cells and release diverse biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and lipids, making them a potential source of biomarkers and regulators of the tumor microenvironment. Emerging evidence suggests that EVs are involved in intercellular communication by carrying biological information. These EVs elicit physiological functions and are involved in the oncogenesis of HCC, such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance of HCC. EVs have also been considered promising biomarkers and nanotherapeutic targets for HCC. Therefore, this review sheds light on the current understanding of the interactions between EVs and HCC to propose potential biomarkers and nanotherapeutic strategies.

The proportion of advanced age patients undergoing surgical procedures is on the rise owing to advancements in surgical and anesthesia technologies as well as an overall aging population. As a complication of anesthesia and surgery, older patients frequently suffer from postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), which may persist for weeks, months or even longer. POCD is a complex pathological process involving multiple pathogenic factors, and its mechanism is yet unclear. Potential theories include inflammation, deposition of pathogenic proteins, imbalance of neurotransmitters, and chronic stress. The identification, prevention, and treatment of POCD are still in the exploratory stages owing to the absence of standardized diagnostic criteria. Undoubtedly, comprehending the development of POCD remains crucial in overcoming the illness. Neuroinflammation is the leading hypothesis and a crucial component of the pathological network of POCD and may have complex interactions with other mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the possible ways in which surgery and anesthesia cause neuroinflammation and investigate the connection between neuroinflammation and the development of POCD. Understanding these mechanisms may likely ensure that future treatment options of POCD are more effective.

As traditional strategies for cancer treatment, some chemotherapy agents, such as doxorubicin, oxaliplatin, cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and paclitaxel exert their anti-tumor effects by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells. ICD induces anti-tumor immunity through release of, or exposure to, damage-related molecular patterns (DAMPs), including high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), calreticulin, adenosine triphosphate, and heat shock proteins. This leads to activation of tumor-specific immune responses, which can act in combination with the direct killing functions of chemotherapy drugs on cancer cells to further improve their curative effects. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying ICD, including those of several chemotherapeutic drugs in inducing DAMPs exposed during ICD to activate the immune system, as well as discussing the prospects for application and potential role of ICD in cancer immunotherapy, with the aim of providing valuable inspiration for future development of chemoimmunotherapy.

Breast surgery is an important treatment for women with malignant breast diseases. In addition to breast appearance, the integrity of breast function is increasing in patients with breast diseases. As the basis of breast physiological function, breast skin sensitivity is important to the quality of life of patients after surgery. Breast skin sensitivity gives the patient a "real" breast feeling. The sensory recovery after breast surgery has also become one of the important goals of breast surgery. In this review, we aim to discuss the research progress on recovery of breast skin sensitivity after different treatment modalities for breast disease.

BackgroundEpidemiological evidence on the relationship between benign ovarian tumors and ovarian cancer risk has been controversial; therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated this association.MethodsThe PubMed and Web of Knowledge databases were searched for eligible studies published up to April 30, 2020. The study-specific risk estimates were pooled using a random-effects model.ResultsTen articles (two cohorts, seven case-control studies, and one pooled analysis of eight case-control studies) with 10331 ovarian cancer patients were included. Benign ovarian tumors were associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer (pooled relative risk [RR]=1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.90), with high heterogeneity among studies. The pooled RR was 2.02 (95%CI: 1.32–3.11) for two cohort studies, which was higher than the pooled result of eight case-control studies (pooled RR: 1.15; 95%CI: 0.92–1.44). When stratifying by histological type, the pooled RRs were 1.53 (95% CI: 0.37–6.29) and 3.62 (95%CI: 0.81–16.20) for serous and mucinous tumors, respectively. The pooled RRs were 1.61 (95%CI: 0.65–3.95) and 1.54 (95%CI: 1.29–1.84) for the associations of ovarian cyst with invasive and borderline cancers, respectively.ConclusionsBenign ovarian tumors were associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Due to the high heterogeneity among the studies and the risks of bias, more studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

The modulation of the function and expression of epigenetic regulators of RNA modification has gradually become the hotspot of cancer research. Studies have shown that alteration of epigenetic modifications can promote the development and metastasis of breast cancer. This review highlights the progress in characterization of the link between RNA modification and the prognosis, carcinogenesis and treatment of breast cancer, which may provide a new theoretical basis for development of effective strategies for monitoring of breast cancer based on epigenetics.

Ferroptosis is referred as a novel type of cell death discovered in recent years with the feature of the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid reactive oxygen species. Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers in women. There is increasing evidence that ferroptosis can inhibit breast cancer cell growth, improve the sensitivity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and inhibit distant metastases. Therefore, ferroptosis can be regarded a new target for tumor suppression and may expand the landscape of clinical treatment of breast cancer. This review highlights the ferroptosis mechanism and its potential role in breast cancer treatment to explore new therapeutic strategies of breast cancer.