Xiaopan Zou^1,2, Meiyang Sun³, Xin Jiang¹, Jingze Yu², Xiaomeng Li^4,*, Bingyu Nie^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.34, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.066662 - 30 December 2025

Abstract Objective: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly aggressive and lacks an effective targeted therapy. This study aimed to elucidate the functions and possible mechanisms of action of zinc finger miz-type containing 2 (ZMIZ2) and minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 (MCM3) in TNBC progression. Methods: The relationship between ZMIZ2 expression and clinical characteristics of TNBC was investigated. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to investigate the role of ZMIZ2 dysregulation in TNBC cell malignant behaviors. The regulatory relationship between ZMIZ2 and MCM3 was also explored. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to elucidate possible mechanisms underlying the ZMIZ2/MCM3… More >

Chang-Eui Hong^1,2,3, Su-Yun Lyu^1,2,3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.49, No.12, pp. 2377-2397, 2025, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.072360 - 24 December 2025

Abstract Objective: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a major therapeutic challenge with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic anticancer effects of doxorubicin (DOX) combined with Viscum album L. var. coloratum agglutinin (VCA) and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms in TNBC cells. Methods: This study evaluated the synergistic effects and mechanisms of doxorubicin (DOX) and Viscum album L. var. coloratum agglutinin (VCA) combination in MDA-MB231 TNBC cells. Cell viability, oxidative stress markers, apoptosis-related proteins, cell migration, and proliferative recovery were assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide… More >

Sihai Duan^1,2,#, Xiaoyan Li^3,#, Cailu Song³, Song Wu³, Yunyun Tang^3,4, Qing Bao^3,4, Na Li^3,*, Hailin Tang^3,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.11, pp. 3543-3556, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.068292 - 22 October 2025

Abstract Objectives: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the breast cancer subtype with the poorest prognosis. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular pathways through which isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a natural chalcone compound derived from licorice and other plant roots, targets interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) in TNBC. Methods: TNBC cell lines were cultured and subjected to IRF5 knockdown using short hairpin RNA. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assays. Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to measure expression levels of IRF5, solute carrier family… More >

Alejandro Javier Español^1,2,*, Yamila Sanchez¹, Sofia Volpi²

BIOCELL, Vol.49, No.8, pp. 1449-1480, 2025, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.068034 - 29 August 2025

Abstract Background: Triple-negative (TN) breast cancer, the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, is usually treated with high doses of paclitaxel (PX), which induces resistance. To prevent this adverse effect, metronomic chemotherapy based on administering low doses of PX plus carbachol (Carb), a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonist, has emerged as an alternative. Other acetylcholine receptors also present in breast tissue are nicotinic ones. When activated by nicotine (Nic), these receptors can decrease the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy. However, whether metronomic chemotherapy with PX and Carb is affected by Nic has not yet been described. This… More >

Zhun Yu^1,2, Jie Wang^1,2, Guoping Xu^1,2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.8, pp. 2013-2035, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.061757 - 18 July 2025

Abstract Objectives: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a major treatment challenge due to its aggressive behavior. The dysfunction of the Golgi apparatus (GA) contributes to the development of various cancers. This study aimed to utilize GA-related genes (GARGs) to forecast the prognosis and immune profile of TNBC. Methods: The data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, including 175 TNBC and 99 healthy samples. The differentially expressed GARGs (DEGARGs) were analyzed using the TCGA biolinks package. The patients with TNBC were classified into two clusters utilizing the ConsensusClusterPlus package according to prognosis-related DEGARGs, followed by… More >

QIAN LI^1,#, SHUNPENG ZHU^1,#, MINGXIAN ZHU², FANG WANG^1,*, JINHUA ZHOU^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.7, pp. 1757-1767, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.062539 - 26 June 2025

Abstract Objectives: Our previous research demonstrated that SIC-19, an innovative inhibitor of salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2), effectively reduces SIK2 protein levels through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and exhibits synthetic lethal effects with poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in ovarian cancer. However, the role of SIC-19 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and pancreatic cancer (PC) remains poorly defined. This study aims to investigate whether SIC-19 combined with PARP inhibitors can induce synthetic lethal effects in TNBC and PC. Methods: Cell lines with high SIK2 expression were identified through Western blot analysis. The combination’s impact was evaluated using Cell… More >

CHENG CHENG^1,2,3, CHAO SHI^1,2, SHANG WU^1,2, WEIXING WU³, JINGPING LI^1,2, SINUO GAO^1,2, MENG HAN³, YIMIN WANG³, XIANGMEI ZHANG^2,4,*, YUNJIANG LIU^1,2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.7, pp. 1633-1648, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.061637 - 26 June 2025

Abstract Objectives: While programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors have improved cancer treatment, the function and mechanisms of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), particularly when expressed by cancer cells, remain unclear. This study aims to explore the role of PD-L1 within breast cancer cells and identify key targets for future immunotherapy. Methods: RNA-seq was performed on breast cancer cells with silenced PD-L1 to screen for differentially expressed genes, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Clinical specimens from breast cancer patients undergoing primary surgery without preoperative treatment were collected, along with in vitro analysis to validate the potential mechanism. Results:… More >

YU QIU^1,#, RUIHAN LIU^2,#, SHANSHAN HUANG¹, QIAOTING CAI¹, YI XIE¹, ZHITING HE¹, WEIGE TAN^2,*, XINHUA XIE^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.5, pp. 1135-1147, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.062767 - 18 April 2025

Abstract Objectives: Deubiquitinase OTUB2 plays a critical role in the progression of various tumors. However, its specific role in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the biological function of OTUB2 in TNBC and uncover the underlying mechanisms. Methods: First, we found that the expression of OTUB2 was upregulated in TNBC by bioinformatics analysis, we then validated its expression in TNBC tissues and cells using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qPCR and plotted the survival curves by Kaplan-Meier method. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) suggested that OTUB2 may be involved in tumor proliferation and metastasis.… More > Graphic Abstract

LI SUN^1,#, SHICHAO ZHUO^2,#, XIAOXIN LI², HUSHENG KONG³, WEIWEI DU³, CHONG ZHOU⁴, JUNXING HUANG^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 641-651, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.050057 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Background: Cisplatin (DDP) has been used in the treatment of various human cancers. However, DDP alone lacks efficacy in treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and its clinical application is often hampered by side effects. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is one of the active components extracted from Astragalus membranaceus and has gained attention for its various biological properties. This research is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of APS and DDP on TNBC and explore the potential mechanisms. Methods: The efficacy and mechanisms of single or combined treatment were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, Annexin… More >

XIANG LI^1,#, WENKE JIN^2,#, LIFENG WU², HUAN WANG¹, XIN XIE¹, WEI HUANG^1,*, BO LIU^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 67-81, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.055921 - 20 December 2024

Abstract Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by its lack of traditional hormone receptors and HER2, presents a significant challenge in oncology due to its poor response to conventional therapies. Autophagy is an important process for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and there are currently autophagy biomarkers that play an effective role in the clinical treatment of tumors. In contrast to targeting protein activity, intervention with protein-protein interaction (PPI) can avoid unrelated crosstalk and regulate the autophagy process with minimal interference pathways. Methods: Here, we employed Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, and k-Nearest Neighbors to elucidate the complex PPI… More >