biostudies-literaturePan Fthe Jiangsu Provincial Youth Medical Key Talents Projectthe National Natural Science Foundation of China14248https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11189934biostudies-literatureUnknown14(1)Treatment of advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a great challenge in clinical practice. The immune checkpoints are a category of immunosuppressive molecules that cancer could hijack and impede anti-tumor immunity. Targeting immune checkpoints, such as anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) therapy, is a promising therapeutic strategy in TNBC. The efficacy and safety of PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) with chemotherapy have been validated in TNBC patients. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy have not been elucidated, causing the TNBC patients that might benefit from this combination regimen not to be well selected. In the present work, we found that IL-23, an immunological cytokine, is significantly upregulated afScientific reportsChemotherapy-induced high expression of IL23A enhances efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in TNBC by co-activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway of CTLs.PMC11189934QNRC201688782273326Liu JHuo LHuang GXie LZhu BZhu CLiu XYang YWang RPan FChen WChen YGu JXu XZhao HXu YfalseChemotherapy-induced high expression of IL23A enhances efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in TNBC by co-activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway of CTLs.Treatment of advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a great challenge in clinical practice. The immune checkpoints are a category of immunosuppressive molecules that cancer could hijack and impede anti-tumor immunity. Targeting immune checkpoints, such as anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) therapy, is a promising therapeutic strategy in TNBC. The efficacy and safety of PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) with chemotherapy have been validated in TNBC patients. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy have not been elucidated, causing the TNBC patients that might benefit from this combination regimen not to be well selected. In the present work, we found that IL-23, an immunological cytokine, is significantly upregulated af2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jun2026-03-16T09:59:17.238Z2025-08-15T03:07:01.302ZS-EPMC111899343890234310.1038/s41598-024-65129-7