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Breast Cancer and Molecular-Based Treatments
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Breast Cancer and Molecular-Based Treatments

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 393

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marcus Vetter

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Center Baselland, Medical University Clinics, 4410 Liestal, Switzerland
Interests: breast cancer; gynecologic cancer; translational research; geriatric oncology; molecular oncology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Recent breakthroughs in molecular biology and genomics have revolutionized our understanding of breast cancer pathogenesis, paving the way for novel diagnostics, prognostic markers, and personalized therapeutic strategies.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications exploring the following topics:

  • Molecular signaling pathways in breast cancer progression and metastasis;
  • Genomic and epigenetic biomarkers for early detection and prognosis;
  • Hormone receptor dynamics and resistance mechanisms;
  • Advances in immunotherapy and targeted molecular treatments;
  • Role of non-coding RNAs and extracellular vesicles in breast cancer;
  • Preclinical models and translational studies in personalized medicine.

Prof. Dr. Marcus Vetter
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 696 KB  
Article
Immune Infiltration, Effector T-Cell Enrichment, and Functional Context for Prediction of Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer
by Ana Demšar, Klara Geršak, Barbara Gazić, Tanja Blagus, Katja Goričar, Gregor Jezernik, Vita Dolžan and Cvetka Grašič Kuhar
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(5), 2431; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27052431 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 219
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are an established predictor of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in breast cancer. However, TILs primarily reflect the extent of immune infiltration and provide limited insight into immune functional state. We investigated whether integrating measures of immune [...] Read more.
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are an established predictor of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in breast cancer. However, TILs primarily reflect the extent of immune infiltration and provide limited insight into immune functional state. We investigated whether integrating measures of immune infiltration (TILs), effector T-cell presence (CD8), and functional context (immune checkpoint components) may improve prediction of pCR beyond TILs alone. Pretreatment tumor biopsies from 166 patients with early breast cancer treated with standard NACT were assessed for stromal TILs and mRNA expression of CD8, PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3. Associations with pCR were evaluated using univariate and multivariable logistic regression, and composite immune phenotypes were constructed to capture functional immune states. In univariate analyses, higher TILs, CD8, PD-1, and LAG-3 were associated with pCR (all p < 0.05), whereas TIM-3 was not (p = 0.801). In multivariable models, TILs remained independently associated with pCR when adjusted for checkpoint markers, but this association was attenuated when CD8 was included, consistent with the strong biological correlation between TILs and CD8, and neither CD8 nor checkpoint markers retained independent significance. PD-1 and LAG-3 expression strongly correlated with CD8 and moderately correlated with TILs, indicating that checkpoint expression predominantly reflects an immune effector–engaged tumor microenvironment. Composite immune phenotypes based on CD8/PD-1 co-expression identified distinct immune functional states, with CD8-high/PD-1-high tumors demonstrating the highest pCR rates. Hierarchical modeling showed modest improvements in discrimination with sequential addition of immune variables to clinical predictors, with the integrative CD8/PD-1 model achieving the highest discrimination within the cohort (AUC = 0.849), although the magnitude of improvement beyond TIL assessment alone was limited. In conclusion, immune infiltration, effector T-cell presence, and functional immune context represent complementary dimensions for pCR prediction following NACT in breast cancer. However, TILs remain the most robust and clinically feasible immune biomarker. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer and Molecular-Based Treatments)
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