Molecular Mechanism and Therapeutic Exploration of CD36 in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause of most cancer-related deaths, posing a serious threat to women′s health worldwide. At present, although the prognosis of some patients with breast cancer has improved, the emergence of drug resistance and the metastasis and recurrence of breast cancer are still the main reasons for poor prognosis. CD36 is a multiligand transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on various cell types. In recent years, studies have confirmed that CD36 can reshape the lipid metabolism of cancer cells; promote the differentiation of tumor-related macrophages into M2 type and recruitment into tumor tissues; regulate the function of Treg cells, CD8+ T cells, DCs, and other immune cells, and thus promote tumor development. In addition, CD36 is also associated with breast cancer stem cells, metastasis-initiating cells, and breast drug resistant cells. Therefore, CD36 could be an important potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.