The many facets of Notch signaling in breast cancer: toward overcoming therapeutic resistance

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women and is a complex disease with high intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity. Such heterogeneity is a major driving force behind failure of current therapies and development of resistance. Due to the limitations of conventional therapies and inevitable emergence of acquired drug resistance (chemo and endocrine) as well as radio resistance, it is essential to design novel therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis for breast cancer patients. Deregulated Notch signaling within the breast tumor and its tumor microenvironment (TME) is linked to poor clinical outcomes in treatment of resistant breast cancer. Notch receptors and ligands are also important for normal mammary development, suggesting the potential for conserved signaling pathways between normal mammary gland development and breast cancer. In this review, we focus on mechanisms by which Notch receptors and ligands contribute to normal mammary gland development and breast tumor progression. We also discuss how complex interactions between cancer cells and the TME may reduce treatment efficacy and ultimately lead to acquired drug or radio resistance. Potential combinatorial approaches aimed at disrupting Notch- and TME-mediated resistance that may aid in achieving in an improved patient prognosis are also highlighted.