Modulating the Crosstalk between the Tumor and the Microenvironment Using SiRNA: A Flexible Strategy for Breast Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Tumorigenesis is a complex and multistep process in which sequential mutations in oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes result in enhanced proliferation and apoptosis escape. Over the past decades, several studies have provided evidence that tumors are more than merely a mass of malignant cancer cells, with the tumor microenvironment (TME) also contributing to cancer progression. For this reason, the focus of cancer research in recent years has shifted from the malignant cancer cell itself to the TME and its interactions. Since the TME actively participates in tumor progression, therapeutic strategies targeting it have created great interest. In this context, much attention has been paid to the potential application of small interfering RNA (siRNA), a class of non-coding RNA that has the ability to downregulate the expression of target genes in a sequence-specific way. This is paving the way for a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of several diseases, including cancer. In this review, we describe recent efforts in developing siRNA therapeutics for the treatment of breast cancer, with particular emphasis on TME regulation. We focus on studies that adapt siRNA design to reprogram/re-educate the TME and eradicate the interplay between cancer cells and TME.