Roles of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Breast Cancer Therapy: Engineered Stem Cells and Exosomal Cell-Free Based Therapy

Abstract

Breast cancer has a high prevalence among women, with a high mortality rate. The number of people who suffer from breast cancer disease is increasing, whereas metastatic cancers are mostly incurable, and existing therapies have unfavorable side effects. For an extended duration, scientists have dedicated their efforts to exploring the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of metastatic cancers, including breast cancer. MSCs could be genetically engineered to boost their anticancer potency. Furthermore, MSCs can transport oncolytic viruses, suicide genes, and anticancer medicines to tumors. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are MSC products that have attracted scientist's attention as a cell-free treatment. This study narratively reviews the current state of knowledge on engineered MSCs and their EVs as promising treatments for breast cancer.