REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1657383
This article is part of the Research TopicCommunity Series in Deciphering Cancer Metabolism: A New Frontier in Tumor Immunology with Computational Innovation, Volume IIView all articles
Unraveling the Mystery of Breast Cancer Dormancy: Insights into Genetic, Receptor, and Cellular Interactions Driving Late Recurrence
Provisionally accepted
- 1Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- 2Key Laboratory of Cancer and Immune Cells of Qingdao, Qingdao, China
- 3Qingdao Municipal Hospital Group, Qingdao, China
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Late recurrence of breast cancer poses a considerable threat to patient survival, often attributed to breast cancer dormancy. Dormancy, characterized by cancer cells remaining quiescent for extended periods, is influenced by genetic factors and modifications that directly impact cellular phenotype. Alterations in gene expression dynamically shape cellular behavior, often mediated through receptor signaling pathways. Moreover, interactions within the tumor microenvironment play a pivotal role, fostering either cancer cell dormancy or promoting their escape from dormancy. This review endeavors to provide a comprehensive synthesis of recent advancements in understanding breast cancer dormancy across genetic, receptor molecular, and cellular dimensions. By elucidating the intricate mechanisms underlying dormancy, we aim to shed light on potential therapeutic strategies to prevent late recurrences. Furthermore, we anticipate future research directions that may uncover novel insights into this complex phenomenon, ultimately improving patient outcomes and refining clinical management strategies for breast cancer recurrence.
Keywords: breast cancer, dormancy, Tumor Microenvironment, non-coding RNA, cell adhesion molecule
Received: 01 Jul 2025; Accepted: 20 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ma, Zhang, Chen, Song and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yi Zhao, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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