The role and mechanism of cancer stem cells in breast carcinogenesis, progression and drug resistance.

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) represent a distinctive subpopulation within breast cancer that exhibit stem cell-like characteristics, including self-renewal capability and multipotent differentiation. They are recognized as the central drivers of tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. In-depth investigation of BCSCs represents a crucial avenue for overcoming the current therapeutic limitations in breast cancer. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in BCSCs-related research, focusing on key areas such as surface marker identification, mechanisms underlying tumor recurrence and metastasis, core regulatory signaling networks, and therapy resistance. Furthermore, it discusses potential clinical strategies targeting BCSCs, and explores future directions for precision medicine based on hetogeneity and dynamic regulation of BCSCs. These insights provide important theoretical foundations for the development of targeted therapies against breast cancer.