Understanding the Breast Tumor Microenvironment: Advances in Emerging Biomarkers and Molecular Targets for Precision Oncology

The breast tumor microenvironment (TME) serves as a critical regulator in cancer proliferation, progression, and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Recognized for its complex bidirectional interactions, the TME comprises malignant cells allied with diverse stromal components such as adipocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, macrophages, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). These cellular components are embedded with cytokines, growth factors, soluble receptors, and exosomes, which collectively sculpt the tumor architecture and behavior. The ongoing advancements in single-cell technologies and multi-omics platforms have been pioneering in unveiling a spectrum of novel markers and molecular targets for emerging therapeutic approaches, fostering the evolution of next-generation drugs and precise treatment for breast cancer patients.

This Research Topic aims to serve as an interdisciplinary platform for researchers and clinicians, experts in cancer biology, molecular oncology, immunology, and translational medicine. The central goal of this article collection is to elucidate the intricate roles played by stromal, immune, and metabolic elements in the TME, which are pivotal to the biology of breast cancer and its response to therapies.

To gather further insights into the breast tumor microenvironment, we welcome original research, review, and perspective articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Identification of TME-derived predictive and prognostic biomarkers

- Contributions of adipocytes, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and ECM to tumor progression, invasion, and therapy resistance

- Functional characterization of immune populations like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and T cells

- Mechanisms of immune evasion and stromal-mediated resistance

- Applications of transcriptomics, proteomics, and integrated multi-omics in TME profiling

- The influence of the TME on the efficacy of endocrine therapy and HER2-targeted treatments

- Innovative therapeutic strategies targeting TME components (e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors, TGF-β blockers, CXCR4 antagonists, ECM-modulating agents)

- Liquid biopsy approaches to detect TME-derived biomarkers such as exosomes, circulating stromal factors, or ECM fragments

Overall, the pursuit of elucidating biomarker discovery and novel therapeutic pathways may ultimately lead to a more integrated understanding of the breast TME, promoting its translation into clinical settings within precision oncology.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: breast tumor, tumor microenvironment, biomarkers, molecular targets, resistance to therapies

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.