Breast Cancer: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapies

Dear Colleagues,

Advancements in breast cancer research are increasingly focused on the interplay between genetics and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the genetic mutations and variations that drive breast cancer helps identify targets for novel therapies. The TME, which includes immune cells, stromal cells, and extracellular matrix, also plays a crucial role in stemness, tumor progression, and response to treatment. New model systems, such as patient-derived organoids, strive to replicate the complexity of breast tumors and their microenvironments, enabling more accurate drug screening and personalized therapy development. These organoids retain the genetic and histological features of the original tumors, providing insights into how genetic factors and TME interactions influence cancer behavior and treatment efficacy. By integrating genetic information and TME dynamics, researchers can develop targeted treatments that improve outcomes for breast cancer patients, including those with aggressive subtypes like triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

In this Special Issue, we seek original studies on all aspects of breast cancer research related to mechanisms driving stemness, tumor growth, and metastasis, with an emphasis on interactions between genetics and the tumor microenvironment and new model systems to identify and screen novel therapies.

Dr. Jennifer Sims-Mourtada
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.