• Therapeutic role of Cancer Testis Antigens in breast cancer: challenges and future perspectives
  • Motahareh Sheikh Hosseini,1,* Mohammad Moarefzadeh,2 Mahdieh Salimi,3
    1. Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.
    2. Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Lorestan, Iran.
    3. Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.


  • Introduction: Breast cancer is the second leading cancer death and the most frequent cancer diagnosed among women across the world. Early diagnosis and effective screening play a significant role in reducing the mortality rate of breast cancer.
  • Methods: Since the heterogeneity of breast cancer causes a new challenge, there is no gold standard therapy proper for all tumors of the mammary gland. Therefore, it is important to distinguish novel therapeutic approaches such as applying tumor-associated molecules to target biomarkers. These targets enhance breast cancer screening. For this purpose, cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) have developed as powerful clinical biomarkers to target several malignancies due to their characteristics.
  • Results: CTAs are considered as tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) which demonstrate aberrant expression in several cancers including skin, ovaries, and breast. Furthermore, CTAs can be considered for early detection and therapeutic targets for cancer immunotherapy.
  • Conclusion: In the present study, the clinical implications of CTAs in breast cancer as biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets and also a special focus on challenges and future perspectives have been discussed.
  • Keywords: Breast Cancer, Tumor Progression, Cancer Testis Antigens, Prognostic Biomarkers, Therapeutic Uses.