New Insights into the Therapeutic Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer globally and is among the leading causes of death in women. Its heterogenic nature is a result of the involvement of numerous aberrant genes that contribute to the multi-step pathway of tumorigenesis. Despite the fact that several disease-causing mutations have been identified, therapy is often aimed at alleviating symptoms rather than rectifying the mutation in the DNA sequence. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 is a groundbreaking tool that is being utilized for the identification and validation of genomic targets bearing tumorigenic potential. CRISPR/Cas9 supersedes its gene-editing predecessors through its unparalleled simplicity, efficiency and affordability. In this review, we provide an overview of the CRISPR/Cas9 mechanism and discuss genes that were edited using this system for the treatment of breast cancer. In addition, we shed light on the delivery methods—both viral and non-viral—that may be used to deliver the system and the barriers associated with each. Overall, the present review provides new insights into the potential therapeutic applications of CRISPR/Cas9 for the advancement of breast cancer treatment.

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Informational Needs in Patients With Breast Cancer With Lymphedema: Is It Important?

Breast Cancer Basic and Clinical Research ◽

10.1177/1178223420911033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 117822342091103

Author(s):

Sara Dorri ◽

Asiie Olfatbakhsh ◽

Farkhondeh Asadi

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Networks ◽

Breast Cancer Treatment ◽

Informational Needs ◽

Average Income ◽

Delivery Methods ◽

Convenience Sampling ◽

Very High

Introduction: Lymphedema is one of the complications of breast cancer treatment. It has no cure yet and can affect the quality of life. This study aimed to identify and investigate informational needs, preferred delivery methods, and time of receiving information about lymphedema for these patients. Methods: One hundred participants were recruited through Lymphedema Clinic in Motamed Cancer Institute in Tehran, Iran, through convenience sampling and were asked to complete a self-administered survey. Data collection took place on all opening days between October 2018 and mid-March 2019. Results: Most of the participants were above 40 years, have a diploma, homemaker, and the average income of most of the participants (57.2%) was low. The importance of having lymphedema information was very high for them. Most of them wanted detailed information at diagnosis of breast cancer. The preferred information of delivery methods were private sessions and social networks. Conclusions: Patients with breast cancer who have lymphedema have high needs as regards concise lymphedema information. Private sessions with physicians and social networks can provide detailed information for them.

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