乳腺癌是全球女性诊断的主要癌症，脑转移已成为死亡的主要原因，特别是在人类表皮生长因子受体 2 阳性和三阴性乳腺癌亚型中。全面了解中枢神经系统转移的分子基础对于有效治疗策略的发展至关重要。 Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) 是一种具有多种功能的分泌型铁转运蛋白，与乳腺癌脑转移 (BCBM) 的进展有关。在原发性肿瘤中，LCN2促进乳腺癌细胞的增殖和血管生成，触发上皮间质转化，与基质金属蛋白酶9相互作用，从而促进细胞外基质的重组，增强癌细胞的侵袭和迁移。在大脑微环境中，LCN2 会破坏血脑屏障，并通过调节关键细胞成分的行为来促进肿瘤在大脑中的种植。总之，这篇综述仔细研究了 LCN2 在 BCBM 级联中的燃料作用，并研究了所涉及的潜在机制。它强调了 LCN2 作为治疗靶点和生物标志物的潜力，表明针对 LCN2 的干预措施可能会改善 BCBM 患者的预后。版权所有 © 2024 赵、唐、雷、付和张。

Breast cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed in women globally, with brain metastasis emerging as a major cause of death, particularly in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive and triple-negative breast cancer subtypes. Comprehensive understanding of the molecular foundations of central nervous system metastases is imperative for the evolution of efficacious treatment strategies. Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a secreted iron transport protein with multiple functions, has been linked to the progression of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM). In primary tumors, LCN2 promotes the proliferation and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells, triggers the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, interacts with matrix metalloproteinase-9, thereby facilitating the reorganization of the extracellular matrix and enhancing cancer cell invasion and migration. In brain microenvironment, LCN2 undermines the blood-brain barrier and facilitates tumor seeding in the brain by modulating the behavior of key cellular components. In summary, this review meticulously examines the fuel role of LCN2 in BCBM cascade, and investigates the potential mechanisms involved. It highlights the potential of LCN2 as both a therapeutic target and biomarker, indicating that interventions targeting LCN2 may offer improved outcomes for patients afflicted with BCBM.Copyright © 2024 Zhao, Tang, Lei, Fu and Zhang.