Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41977343›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

Contribution of Mesenchymal-like and Epithelial Cellular Subsets to Chemotherapy Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Ngoc B Vuong, Olga Y Korolkova, Michael G Izban, Nobelle I Sakwe, Antonisha R McIntosh, Destiny D Ball, Perrin J Black, Alayjha D Edwards, Billy R Ballard, Samuel E Adunyah and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ngoc B VuongDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Olga Y KorolkovaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Michael G IzbanDepartment of Pathology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Nobelle I SakweDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Antonisha R McIntoshDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Destiny D BallDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Perrin J BlackDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Alayjha D EdwardsDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Billy R BallardDepartment of Pathology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
Samuel E AdunyahDepartment of Biochemistry Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8581-7778
Amos M SakweDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2283-794X

Funding

American Cancer Society DICRIDG-21-071-01American Heart Association 23SFRNCCS1052486National Heart Lung and Blood Institute HL007737National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases AI007281NCI NIH HHS CA163069NIGMS NIH HHS GM139814NIGMS NIH HHS GM144927NIMHD NIH HHS MD007586
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors are typically heterogeneous, predominantly epithelial tissues with discrete patches of mesenchymal-like TNBC cells that differ in their invasiveness, proliferation potential and response to treatment. However, the impact of mesenchymal-like and epithelial TNBC cells on the persistence of chemotherapy-resistant disease remains poorly understood. Mesenchymal-like and epithelial TNBC cell types were detected by multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry using antibodies against vimentin, Ki67, and Annexin A6 (AnxA6). Chemotherapy drug-resistant mesenchymal-like and epithelial TNBC cell populations were established by pulse exposure and stepwise dose escalation and validated by 3D cultures and unbiased antibody arrays. Analysis of the response of TNBC tumors treated with six common chemotherapy regimens resulted in 36% complete response and 64% partial response with residual tumor sizes ranging from 0.5 to 37.0 mm. Treatment of TNBC cells with chemotherapy agents led to distinct resistance signatures including downregulation of survivin and upregulation of M-CSF and CXCL8/IL-8 in the model mesenchymal-like TNBC cells, and upregulation of CCL2/MCP-1, CTSS and DKK-1 in model epithelial TNBC cells. The inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3β (p-S9) increased in paclitaxel-resistant epithelial cells but decreased in resistant mesenchymal-like TNBC cells. Finally, chemotherapy resistance also activated p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (RSK1/2) in both cell types, while activation of mitogen- and stress-activated kinases (MSK1/2) was only observed in chemotherapy-resistant epithelial TNBC cells. These data reveal that chemotherapy resistance of epithelial and mesenchymal-like TNBC cellular subsets led to distinct profiles of proinflammatory and immune cell chemotactic cytokines and modulated the activities of GSK-3β, p90 RSK1/2 and the related MSK1/2. Targeting these factors and/or the associated signaling pathways may help overcome chemotherapy resistance in TNBC.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsDrug Resistance, NeoplasmGlycogen Synthase Kinase 3 betaRibosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDaTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsCell Line, TumorEpithelial CellsHumansAntineoplastic AgentsGlycogen Synthase Kinase 3 betaGSK3B protein, humanRibosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDaAnnexin A6chemotherapydrug resistanceepithelialKi67mesenchymal-likep90 ribosomal S6 Kinasestriple-negative breast cancerVimentin

Identifiers

PMID41977343
PMCPMC13073145

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.