Modulating the tumor microenvironment to overcome immunotherapy resistance in breast cancer
LIU Weili
LIU Liangquan
WANG Cairu
CHEN Jie
Abstract：While immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown substantial clinical benefits in treating breast cancer,their overall efficacy is limited by resistance mechanisms driven by the tumor microenvironment(TME).Notably,various immunosuppressive cell populations—such as regulatory T cells,tumor-associated macrophages,and myeloid-derived suppressor cells—play a crucial role in fostering therapeutic resistance through multiple pathways.In addition,cancer-associated fibroblasts and the hypoxic conditions characteristic of tumor regions further diminish the effectiveness of immunotherapy.This review offers a comprehensive examination of the latest strategies to modulate the TME and overcome immune resistance.The discussion spans targeted approaches against immunosuppressive cells,metabolic regulation,phototherapy,modulation of tumor immunogenetics,as well as combination therapies and nanoparticle-mediated treatment strategies.Collectively,these developments provide novel theoretical insights and practical avenues for enhancing the overall efficacy of immunotherapeutic interventions in breast cancer.
Keywords：Breast cancerTumor microenvironmentImmunotherapy resistanceImmune-suppressive cellsMetabolic regulationCombination therapies
Publication Date：2026-02-20
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-09(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 96-104 )