Mcf-7 Cell Line: A Comprehensive Review on Breast Cancer Research, Mechanisms and Therapeutic Screening

The MCF-7 cell line is one of the most widely used in vitro models for investigating estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Since its establishment, MCF-7 cells have contributed substantially to understanding breast cancer biology, endocrine responsiveness, molecular signaling, cell-cycle regulation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic adaptation, and therapeutic resistance. Their well-characterized luminal phenotype and reproducible growth characteristics make them particularly valuable for mechanistic studies and anticancer drug screening. MCF-7 cells have been extensively employed to evaluate conventional chemotherapeutics, endocrine agents, phytochemicals, targeted therapies, drug combinations, and nanotechnology-based delivery systems. Major signaling pathways investigated using this model include ER, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK/ERK, Wnt/β-catenin, JAK/STAT, NF-κB, TGF-β, and AMPK. Despite their broad utility, MCF-7 cells cannot fully reproduce tumor heterogeneity, stromal and immune interactions, or the complexity of the in vivo tumor microenvironment. Integration with three-dimensional cultures, organoids, xenografts, gene-editing technologies, and multi-omics approaches can enhance translational relevance. This review summarizes the biological characteristics, molecular mechanisms, therapeutic applications, limitations, and emerging roles of MCF-7 cells in contemporary breast cancer research.