Non-coding RNAs Affect Breast Cancer Development Through the Notch Signaling Pathway: An Overview

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Breast cancer is still an extremely difficult cancer to treat due to its significant metastasis. Mis-regulation of Notch signaling components such as Notch receptors/ligands and their interaction in breast cancer sparks tumor initiation, maintenance, and progression through induction of abnormal tumorigenesis while modulating vascular integrity, drug resistance, invasion, and migration. Numerous studies have shown that non-coding RNAs can regulate Notch signaling and accordingly impact breast cancer pathobiology. MiRNAs could regulate Notch signaling components directly or indirectly via sponging or suppressing other genes involved in the pathway. Further, lncRNAs interact with miRNAs and mRNAs, and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction networks function as substantial mediators in various pathways, including the Notch signaling pathway. Also, by targeting and sponging other genes, circRNAs could induce tumorigenic properties via the Notch signaling pathway. Due to the intricacy of human physiology, it is challenging for standard drugs to be effective, and cancer cells can develop resistance to treatment and have a significant self-renewal capacity. Moreover, because non-specific Notch signaling intervention targets both tumor cells and immune cells, it may have the reverse effect of regulating the formation of tumors. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms could be useful in diagnosis, prognosis, and the development of novel medications that specifically target Notch signaling, improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer. This review will discuss and clarify the mechanisms by which miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs affect the Notch signaling pathway leading to BC development.