DUSP1: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Therapeutic Potential

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype characterized by high rates of recurrence, limited targeted treatment options, and frequent resistance to standard therapies. Dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), a stress-responsive regulator of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, has emerged as a context-dependent modulator of tumor progression and therapeutic response in TNBC. While reduced DUSP1 expression has been associated with aggressive tumor phenotypes and poor prognosis, accumulating evidence indicates that therapy-induced upregulation of DUSP1 can promote resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy by attenuating pro-apoptotic MAPK signaling and fostering immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Emerging evidence highlights that DUSP1’s role is context-dependent on human cancers, including breast cancer (BC). This review synthesizes current evidence on DUSP1 biology in TNBC, with emphasis on its mechanistic involvement in chemotherapy resistance, radiation-induced immune modulation, and emerging implications for immunotherapy response.