miRNA and Its Implications in the Treatment Resistance in Breast Cancer—Narrative Review of What Do We Know So Far

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with treatment resistance and tumor heterogeneity posing major clinical challenges. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression, have emerged as key players in breast cancer biology, influencing tumor initiation, progression, and therapy resistance. This narrative review synthesizes recent evidence on the involvement of miRNAs in breast cancer subtypes and their impact on treatment response. Notably, miR-155, miR-503, and miR-21 have shown potential as non-invasive biomarkers and modulators of pathways such as PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and TNF signaling. Additionally, exosomal miRNAs may reflect chemoresistance profiles and predict pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy. Emerging data also support the use of specific miRNAs to sensitize tumors to radiotherapy or modulate immune checkpoints like PD-L1 in triple-negative breast cancer. However, challenges persist regarding standardization, sample types, and study heterogeneity. Further translational research is needed to validate miRNA signatures and their utility in guiding personalized treatment. By highlighting mechanistic insights and potential clinical applications, this review aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts of integrating miRNAs into precision oncology for breast cancer.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Non-Coding RNA

• Publication date

  2025-11-18

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/ncrna11060078PMID 41283333PMCID 12642013
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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