ObjectiveTo summarize and review the clinical translational research progress on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), aiming to provide new ideas for the treatment of TNBC. MethodRelevant literature on studies of CAFs in TNBC in recent years was retrieved and reviewed. ResultsAs the most important stromal cell component in the tumor microenvironment (TME), CAFs participate in tumor growth, invasion, immune suppression, and therapy resistance by secreting cytokines and chemokines and remodeling the extracellular matrix. Based on this, the clinical translational strategies targeting CAFs in TNBC mainly include targeting CAFs-specific markers and their oncogenic pathways, inhibiting or reversing CAFs activation and recruitment, and developing novel therapies such as photothermal therapy. ConclusionsIn the face of clinical challenges such as therapy-resistant TNBC, research on CAFs provides new insights for addressing the complexity of the TME. Although targeting CAFs is challenging due to their heterogeneity, current clinical research and trials have confirmed that combining CAFs-targeting strategies with immunotherapy or chemotherapy is feasible. This approach is expected to become a new treatment modality for TNBC.
