Herceptin Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Herceptin, including details on side-effects, breast cancer, treatment, therapy.

HER2 therapy: Molecular mechanisms of trastuzumab resistance.

Nahta R, Esteva FJ

Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030-4009, USA. rnahta@mdanderson.org.

ABSTRACT: Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody targeted against the HER2 tyrosine kinase receptor. The majority of patients with metastatic breast cancer who initially respond to trastuzumab develop resistance within one year of treatment initiation, and in the adjuvant setting 15% of patients still relapse despite trastuzumab-based therapy. In this review, we discuss potential mechanisms of antitumor activity by trastuzumab, and how these mechanisms become altered to promote therapeutic resistance. We also discuss novel therapies that may improve the efficacy of trastuzumab, and that offer hope that the survival of breast cancer patients with HER2-overexpressing tumors can be vastly improved.

Published 13 November 2006 in Breast Cancer Res, 8(6): 215.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Herceptin Research Today. All Rights Reserved.