Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Breast Cancer
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Pathology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 21
Special Issue Editors
Interests: breast cancer; brain tumors; precision medicine; target therapy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Breast cancer represents a paradigmatic example of tumour complexity, arising from the dynamic integration of cellular and molecular alterations that govern disease initiation, progression, and therapeutic response. Advances in molecular oncology have revealed how dysregulated signalling pathways—including estrogen receptor and HER2-driven networks, together with downstream PI3K/AKT/mTOR, MAPK, and developmental signalling cascades—orchestrate aberrant cell growth, survival, and metastatic dissemination across distinct breast cancer subtypes. These pathways do not operate in isolation; rather, their extensive cross-talk, combined with genomic aberrations and transcriptional reprogramming, drives tumour plasticity, subtype-specific behaviour, and variable responses to targeted therapies.
Beyond genetic alterations, epigenetic regulation through DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs profoundly influences tumour adaptability, and the development of therapeutic resistance. In parallel, metabolic reprogramming enables breast cancer cells to cope with fluctuating nutrient availability and treatment-induced stress. The tumour microenvironment, comprising immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and extracellular matrix components, actively shapes tumour evolution by promoting immune evasion, angiogenesis, and disease progression.
Recent advances in single-cell and spatial profiling technologies, integrated with multi-omics approaches, have markedly improved the characterization of intratumoral heterogeneity and clonal dynamics. By integrating insights into signalling pathways, molecular regulation, and microenvironmental interactions, this Special Issue aims to highlight emerging concepts and innovative strategies to advance precision oncology in breast cancer.
Dr. Chiara Tommasi
Dr. Benedetta Pellegrino
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- breast caner
- precision medicine
- target therapy
- homologous recombination deficiency
- acquired mutations
- germinal mutations
- resistance to cancer therapy
- tumoral heterogeneity
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