Chapter 2: Refining triple negative breast cancer targeted therapy: special focus on tyrosine kinase receptors

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis. TNBC does not respond to targeted therapy, unlike HER2+ and hormone receptor-positive Breast Cancer, and chemotherapy remains the major treatment option. As a result, there is an unmet demand for effective TNBC therapy. RTKs (Receptor Tyrosine Kinases) are a type of receptor that plays a key role in cancer growth. The RTK family includes the insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR). The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) axis regulates MAPK, PI3K/AKt, and JAK/STAT signalling pathways, all of which are important in the progression of Breast Cancer. The function of such pathways in the regulation of metastasis, angiogenesis, and tumour stem cells is well known. The main goal of this chapter was to discuss the specific role of tyrosine kinase receptors and their involvement in TNBC-promoting signalling pathways.