trastuzumab

Overview

Trastuzumab, marketed under the brand name Herceptin, is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). This receptor is overexpressed in certain types of breast cancer and gastric cancer, making trastuzumab a critical therapeutic agent in the treatment of HER2-positive malignancies. By binding to HER2, trastuzumab inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells that overexpress this receptor, thereby exerting its antitumor effects through mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and inhibition of downstream signaling pathways associated with cell growth and survival.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent studies have explored various innovative approaches to enhance the efficacy of trastuzumab in cancer therapy. For instance, a study published in Chemistry investigated a self-propelled molecular rocket that could potentially overcome trastuzumab resistance in breast cancer by triggering ferroptosis and apoptosis, thereby improving treatment outcomes (PMID: 41789437). Another research article in Journal of Molecular Histology examined the synergistic effects of CD24 silencing combined with trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer, suggesting that targeting oncogenic molecules like CD24 may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of trastuzumab (PMID: 42141178).

Additionally, a case report in Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology highlighted the transfer of trastuzumab and pertuzumab into human breast milk, emphasizing the need for clinical data regarding drug exposure through breast milk (PMID: 42159752). This is particularly relevant for breastfeeding mothers undergoing treatment with these antibodies.

The combination of trastuzumab with other therapies has also been a focus of research. For example, the FDA approved the combination of pembrolizumab, trastuzumab, and platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric cancer (PMID: 41790455). Furthermore, a study in Phytomedicine reported that kaempferitrin could potentiate trastuzumab efficacy in HER2-positive gastric cancer by targeting Cyclooxygenase-2 to inhibit ERK signaling (PMID: 41797190).

Innovative drug delivery methods have also been explored, such as the conjugation of trastuzumab with magnetite nanoparticles to enhance intratumoral retention and efficacy in HER2-positive cells (PMID: 42011850). Moreover, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) combining trastuzumab with a topoisomerase I inhibitor demonstrated substantial antitumor activity in advanced solid tumors (PMID: 41856971).

Key Publications

• Jun Affinity Enhancement in Discrete Multivalent MegaMolecules. (Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology, 2026, PMID 42252776): "...containing up to six anti-HER2 or anti-EGFR Nbs with monovalent affinities varying by 2800-fold."
• May A Self-Propelled Molecular Rocket Triggers Ferroptosis and Apoptosis for Improving Herceptin Resistance in Cancer Therapy. (Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), 2026, PMID 41789437): "To overcome the Herceptin resistance in breast cancer and avoid toxicity to normal cells of triptolide (TP)."
• May Transfer of trastuzumab and pertuzumab into human breast milk: a case report. (Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology, 2026, PMID 42159752): "Therefore, clinical data about drug exposure through breast milk is needed."
• May Study on the synergistic efficacy and mechanism of CD24 silencing combined with trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer. (Journal of molecular histology, 2026, PMID 42141178): "Cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24), an oncogenic molecule closely associated with aggressive tumor phenotypes, was investigated for its expression in HER2-positive breast cancer and its potential as a candidate target for combination therapy."
• May LC-MS peptide mapping of monoclonal antibodies using the mirror proteases trypsin and Tryp-N. (Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis, 2026, PMID 41570394): "The sequence coverages achieved for bevacizumab, cetuximab, NISTmAb, and trastuzumab with Tryp-N were comparable to that of trypsin."
• May Quantification of total and conjugated antibody of a novel ADC in rat by two affinity-capture LC-MS/MS methods using a single surrogate peptide. (Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences, 2026, PMID 41875589): "GL-2401 is a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) made by site-specific enzymatic conjugation of monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) to trastuzumab at the N297 glycosylation site."
• May FDA Approval Summary: Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer. (Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 2026, PMID 41790455): "On May 5, 2021, and March 19, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated and regular approval, respectively, for pembrolizumab plus trastuzumab and platinum-based chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gastric or gastroesophageal junction carcinoma."
• May A novel insulin-like growth factor II-based masking domain for conditional activation of therapeutic antibodies. (mAbs, 2026, PMID 42093183): "This generalized approach was demonstrated across multiple antibodies, enabling efficient protease-dependent conditional activation of trastuzumab (anti-HER2), an anti-IL-1β antibody, and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF)."
• May Native Top-Down Mass Spectrometry Combined with High-Resolution Charge Variant Analysis of Trastuzumab Originator and Biosimilars. (Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 2026, PMID 41996200): "Here, the coupling of pH-gradient CVA with native top-down mass spectrometry (TD-MS) for proteoform-specific analysis of trastuzumab is presented."
• May Trastuzumab Conjugation Enhances HER2-Positive Cell Association and Intratumoral Retention of Magnetite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia. (ACS applied bio materials, 2026, PMID 42011850): "...yielding antibody-modified nanoparticles (MNPs-PMPC-Tmab)."