Benzodiazepines (Diazepam) and related Z-drugs (Zolpidem), henceforth referred to as BZDRs, are widely used for clinical treatment of insomnia and anxiety disorders. BZDRs act on GABA type A receptors to inhibit neurotransmitters. We previously demonstrated that prolonged clinical use of BZDRs exacerbates the risk of breast cancer (BRCA).

Natural killer (NK) cells are a critical component of the human innate immune system. As their name implies, NK cells possess the natural ability to detect and destroy virus-infected and malignant cells without prior sensitization or antigen-specific priming. This rapid response mechanism positions them as one of the body’s first lines of defense against disease.

γδ T cells represent a unique and powerful subset of T lymphocytes that combine features of both innate and adaptive immunity. Unlike the conventional αβ T cells that require antigen presentation via MHC molecules, γδ T cells recognize stress-induced ligands in an MHC-independent manner—making them highly effective against malignancies, infections, and even chronic inflammatory conditions.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are powerful antigen-presenting cells crucial for initiating immune responses. DC-based tumor vaccines have been shown to safely stimulate anti-tumor-associated antigen (TAA) responses, as exemplified by Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), an FDA-approved autologous DC vaccine for castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, such vaccines have generally shown limited clinical efficacy, necessitating strategies to improve their effectiveness.