Exploring the Advantages and Limitations of CRISPR-Cas in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the type of cancer with the highest incidence and mortality rates in women in the world. In the treatment of this neoplasia, several therapies are applied, including radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and biological therapy. Although most patients respond to these types of therapy, some patients over time, develop resistance or eventually relapse. Considering the above, future therapeutic concepts in BC are being directed at individualization of therapy and escalation of treatment based on tumor biology through the use of gene therapy. In this regard, a new genomic engineering technology, called the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein-9 (Cas9), has acquired great importance in recent years, as a potential gene editing tool, extensively applied in human cancer research and cancer treatment. The aim of this review was to describe the advantages, limitations, and applications of CRISPR gene editing technology in BC treatment. Our review emphasizes the innovative facets and profound importance of CRISPR gene editing technology within the BC treatment landscape. Additionally, it provides valuable information to consider when evaluating the risks associated with the implementation of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in BC therapy.