| Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women. Despite improvements in
treatment, the rate of breast cancer‐related deaths is still high, and this issue
needs further, accurate investigations. Although several treatment options are
available, none of them are efficient for complete remission, particularly in
advanced stages of the disease. It is known that cancerous cells have
dysregulated apoptosis‐related pathways, by which they can remain alive for
a long time, expand freely, and escape from apoptosis‐inducing drugs or
antitumor immune responses. Therefore, modulation of apoptosis resistance in
cancer cells may be an efficient strategy to overcome current problems faced in
the development of immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of breast
cancer. The inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAPs) are important targets for
cancer therapy because it has been shown that these molecules are overexpressed
and highly active in various cancer cells and suppress apoptosis
process in malignant cells by blockage of caspase proteins. There is evidence of
Smac mimetics efficacy as a single agent; however, recent studies have indicated
the efficacy of current anticancer immunotherapeutic approaches when
combined with Smac mimetics, which are potent inhibitors of IAPs and
synthesized mimicking Smac/Diablo molecules. In this review, we are going to
discuss the efficacy of treatment of breast cancer by Smac mimetics alone or in
combination with other therapeutics. |