Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Drug Delivery System for Breast Cancer Therapy
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Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer in the world with an incidence rate that is ranked second with a total of 2.2 million patients in the world and a mortality rate fourth in the world with more than 600 thousand cases (30%). The high mortality rate cannot be separated from problems in treatment, such as low targeting, high possibility of systemic side effects which cause a decrease in patient compliance, high treatment prices and the trend of chemotherapy resistance via various mechanism. Therefore, a new breakthrough is needed in the treatment of breast cancer that is more effective and efficient, by using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as a drug delivery system to increase targeting, minimize side effects and potential resistance due to the adaptation mechanism of cancer cells to treatment agents. This study employed a systematic literature review approach by analyzing recent in vitro and in vivo experimental studies investigating MSC-derived drug delivery platforms for breast cancer therapy. Specifically, the review focused on MSC-loaded chemotherapeutic agents (such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel), MSC-derived exosomes as nanocarriers, and genetically engineered MSCs expressing anti-tumor cytokines or pro-apoptotic genes. Data were extracted and synthesized to evaluate targeting efficiency, tumor growth inhibition, apoptotic induction, and reduction of systemic toxicity. Several studies have shown positive results regarding the use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a drug delivery system against several types of cancer with increased anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity by inhibiting proliferative cascade pathways and activating the apoptotic pathway. The findings indicate that MSC-mediated drug delivery significantly improves tumor homing capacity, enhances cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cells, reduces tumor volume in animal models, and decreases systemic adverse effects compared to conventional chemotherapy. Furthermore, MSC-derived exosomes demonstrated improved intracellular drug uptake and modulation of resistance-related signaling pathways, suggesting their potential to overcome chemotherapy resistance. These results highlight MSC-based delivery systems as a promising and targeted therapeutic strategy for breast cancer management.
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References
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