Olfa Rebai, Mohamed Amri, Sami Fattouch
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive chemoresistance, metastasis, and relapse in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), yet a comprehensive synthesis of targeted therapy evidence remains lacking. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2010-2025) and pooled effect sizes from 12 eligible studies (540 TNBC samples) using a random-effects model per PRISMA 2020 guidelines. CSC-targeted therapies significantly reduced CSC viability (SMD = -1.12; 95% CI: -1.45 to -0.79; p < 0.001), with combination approaches showing superior efficacy, moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 52%), and no publication bias, supporting further clinical trials to validate these promising preclinical strategies.