The new era of immunotherapy for breast cancer: challenges and coping strategies of CAR-T cell therapy

Breast cancer remains the most prevalent malignant tumor among women globally, with persistently high incidence and mortality rates. Despite the diversity of existing treatment modalities, systemic therapies for advanced, metastatic, and triple-negative breast cancer continue to face significant limitations. Recently, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has demonstrated considerable success in the treatment of hematological malignancies, offering a novel approach for breast cancer treatment. This paper reviews the primary targets and research advancements of CAR-T cells in breast cancer therapy, while also analyzing current challenges such as immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment, antigen heterogeneity, obstacles in cell homing, and the limited durability of CAR-T cells. Furthermore, strategies to address these challenges are discussed. Although CAR-T cell therapy for breast cancer is still in the nascent stages of exploration, ongoing technological advancements and in-depth research hold promise for its potential as a novel therapeutic option, thereby offering renewed hope to patients.