Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

The Emerging Role of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review

Dana Narvaez
* ,
Jorge Nadal
,
Adrian Nervo
,
Maria Victoria Costanzo
,
Claudio Paletta
,
Fernando E. Petracci
,
Sergio Rivero
,
Alexis Ostinelli
,
Berenice Freile
,
Diego Enrico
ORCID logo ,
Maria Teresa Pombo
,
Mora Amat
,
Edgar Danilo Aguirre Alvarez
ORCID logo ,
Matias Chacon
ORCID logo ,
Federico Waisberg
Version 1 : Received: 26 October 2023 / Approved: 26 October 2023 / Online: 26 October 2023 (11:20:01 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Narvaez, D.; Nadal, J.; Nervo, A.; Costanzo, M.V.; Paletta, C.; Petracci, F.E.; Rivero, S.; Ostinelli, A.; Freile, B.; Enrico, D.; Pombo, M.T.; Amat, M.; Aguirre, E.D.; Chacon, M.; Waisberg, F. The Emerging Role of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review. Cancers 2024, 16, 396. Narvaez, D.; Nadal, J.; Nervo, A.; Costanzo, M.V.; Paletta, C.; Petracci, F.E.; Rivero, S.; Ostinelli, A.; Freile, B.; Enrico, D.; Pombo, M.T.; Amat, M.; Aguirre, E.D.; Chacon, M.; Waisberg, F. The Emerging Role of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review. Cancers 2024, 16, 396.

Abstract

This narrative review aims to clarify the role of tertiary lymphoid structures in breast cancer. We examine their development, composition, prognostic value and current ways of recognising them. A comprehensive literature review was performed using PubMed/Medline, Scopus and EMBASE databases. A significant area of interest in breast cancer research involves targeting immune checkpoint molecules, particularly in the triple-negative subtype, where treatment options remain limited. However, existing biomarkers have limitations in accurately predicting treatment response.  In this context, tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) emerge as a prognostic biomarker and also as a promising predictive marker for response. TLS are ectopic lymphoid formations or neo-organogenesis that can develop after prolonged exposure to inflammatory signals mediated by chemokines and cytokines. Their presence is inversely correlated with estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) expression, but positively associated with a higher pathologic complete response rate and improved overall  survival. In certain scenarios, TLS-positive tumors were associated with improved outcomes regardless of the presence of PDL-1 (programmed cell death ligand 1) expression or and TILs (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes).

Keywords

breast cancer; immunotherapy; tertiary lymphoid structures; lymphocytes; prognostic factors; biomarkers

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Oncology and Oncogenics

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Download PDF Download Supplementary

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0
Get PDF Supplementary Files Cite Share 0
Bookmark BibSonomy Mendeley Reddit Delicious
×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.