Trastuzumab
Trastuzumab, marketed under the brand name Herceptin, is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).
Trastuzumab, marketed under the brand name Herceptin, is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets 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.
Where the papers sit
15 papers from the last 6 months study trastuzumab directly · updated from PubMed 3 Oct 2026
Study type 1 clinical trial · 4 observational · 2 human data · 6 preclinical · 2 unclassified
Themes 3 themes · 1 paradigm shift · 1 new direction
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HER2-Targeted Cancer Therapy
HER2-targeted therapy is expanding beyond conventional trastuzumab through radionuclide treatment, nanoparticle delivery and antibody combinations. [47Sc]Sc-NOTA-trastuzumab and 177Lu-trastuzumab aim to treat primary disease and brain metastases, including trastuzumab-resistant tumors. Organoid findings link treatment to ferroptosis-related changes, while ibrutinib and capecitabine test combination or frailty-adapted regimens. Blood–brain barrier penetration, intratumoral retention and durable control remain open challenges.
8 papers · 53.3%
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HER2 Antibody Applications
HER2-directed treatment is extending into salivary duct carcinoma and molecularly defined NSCLC, while antibody engineering seeks more selective activation. HER2 amplification with EGFR L858R illustrates the need for stepwise profiling and treatment of coexisting drivers. Masking domains and generative design aim to improve therapeutic antibodies, whereas breast-milk transfer raises exposure and safety questions. Evidence remains case-based or methodological, without a unified clinical direction.
5 papers · 33.3%
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Trastuzumab Analytical Characterization
Trastuzumab characterization is moving toward orthogonal, high-resolution quality control for originator products, biosimilars and conjugates. LC-MS/MS and solvent-exposure modeling test whether linker exposure predicts payload release, exposing a mismatch in wild-type trastuzumab. Native top-down MS and charge-variant analysis add intact-molecule comparisons across products. The main open issue is linking these analytical signatures to conjugation performance and biological behavior.
2 papers · 13.3%
Radiation-carrying trastuzumab can overcome limitations of antibody-mediated HER2 inhibition, including in brain metastases
The [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-trastuzumab study in trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast-cancer brain metastases and the [47Sc]Sc-NOTA-trastuzumab study in primary and metastatic HER2-positive breast-cancer models indicate that trastuzumab need not depend on signaling blockade alone to remain effective. The first found that radiolabeled trastuzumab caused DNA double-strand-break-mediated killing despite preserved HER2 expression and trastuzumab resistance, with complete remission in some established brain metastases; the second developed a radiolabeled trastuzumab that localized to HER2-positive tumors and was evaluated for activity in breast tumors and brain-metastasis models. Together, these findings replace the assumption that resistance to trastuzumab-mediated inhibition or brain-specific delivery barriers necessarily preclude trastuzumab-based treatment: trastuzumab can instead function as a carrier for cytotoxic radiation. 42734882Sep 42480146Jul
Trastuzumab is repurposed as a selective mRNA-delivery ligand for lipid nanoparticles
The FcBP-HFQ trastuzumab-modified mRNA/LNP study in HER2-overexpressing SK-OV-3 ovarian-cancer cells and HER2-low MDA-MB-231 breast-cancer cells gives trastuzumab a role outside the set’s therapeutic, diagnostic, and conjugated-drug uses: it serves as the targeting component of a nucleic-acid delivery system. Trastuzumab-modified nanoparticles showed more than 100-fold greater cellular association than unmodified particles in HER2-overexpressing cells, indicating that the antibody can direct mRNA-loaded LNPs to HER2-expressing cancer cells rather than act primarily as the active anticancer agent itself. 42612711Aug
Papers
The 15 papers from the last 6 months that study trastuzumab directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
HER2-Targeted Cancer Therapy (8)
- 177Lu-trastuzumab radionuclide therapy: a promising strategy for trastuzumab-resistant brain metastases in HER2+ breast cancer. Molecular biomedicine · 14 Sept 2026 PMID 42734882
- Trastuzumab treatment is associated with ferroptosis-related alterations in HER2-positive breast cancer organoids. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42684430
- FcBP-HFQ lipid-mediated trastuzumab modification of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles enhances delivery to HER2-expressing cancer cells. European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences · 18 Aug 2026 PMID 42612711
- A Phase I/II Study of Ibrutinib Plus Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer. Cancer medicine · 27 Jul 2026 PMID 42504645
- Development and characterization of [47Sc]Sc-NOTA-trastuzumab for targeted radiotherapy in primary and metastatic HER2 + breast cancer. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 21 Jul 2026 PMID 42480146
- Beyond Amplification: Precision Approaches to Targeting HER2. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 9 Jul 2026 PMID 42423636
- Alternate-day Capecitabine Plus Trastuzumab for Frail HER2-positive Gastric Cancer: A Pilot Case Series. In vivo (Athens, Greece) · 28 Apr 2026 PMID 42049427
- Trastuzumab Conjugation Enhances HER2-Positive Cell Association and Intratumoral Retention of Magnetite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia. ACS applied bio materials · 21 Apr 2026 PMID 42011850
HER2 Antibody Applications (5)
- Co-Occurring EGFR L858R Mutation and HER2 Amplification in NSCLC Identified by Stepwise Molecular Profiling. The American journal of case reports · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42681853
- HER2-positive salivary duct carcinoma: durable response to targeted therapy and chemotherapy. BMJ case reports · 24 Aug 2026 PMID 42637511
- Transfer of trastuzumab and pertuzumab into human breast milk: a case report. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42159752
- A novel insulin-like growth factor II-based masking domain for conditional activation of therapeutic antibodies. mAbs · 7 May 2026 PMID 42093183
- DualGPT-AB: a dual-stage generative optimization framework for therapeutic antibody design. Nature computational science · 15 Apr 2026 PMID 41986730
Trastuzumab Analytical Characterization (2)
- LC-MS/MS Quantification and Solvent-Exposure Modeling Reveal a Mismatch Between Linker Exposure and Payload Release in Wild-Type Trastuzumab-VC-PABC-MMAE in Rat Plasma. Biomedical chromatography : BMC · 20 Jul 2026 PMID 42476813
- 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 · 17 Apr 2026 PMID 41996200
By study type
Clinical trials (1)
- A Phase I/II Study of Ibrutinib Plus Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer. Cancer medicine · 27 Jul 2026 PMID 42504645
Observational studies and case reports (4)
- Co-Occurring EGFR L858R Mutation and HER2 Amplification in NSCLC Identified by Stepwise Molecular Profiling. The American journal of case reports · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42681853
- HER2-positive salivary duct carcinoma: durable response to targeted therapy and chemotherapy. BMJ case reports · 24 Aug 2026 PMID 42637511
- Transfer of trastuzumab and pertuzumab into human breast milk: a case report. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42159752
- Alternate-day Capecitabine Plus Trastuzumab for Frail HER2-positive Gastric Cancer: A Pilot Case Series. In vivo (Athens, Greece) · 28 Apr 2026 PMID 42049427
Human data, design not indexed (2)
- Beyond Amplification: Precision Approaches to Targeting HER2. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 9 Jul 2026 PMID 42423636
- 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 · 17 Apr 2026 PMID 41996200
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (6)
- 177Lu-trastuzumab radionuclide therapy: a promising strategy for trastuzumab-resistant brain metastases in HER2+ breast cancer. Molecular biomedicine · 14 Sept 2026 PMID 42734882
- Trastuzumab treatment is associated with ferroptosis-related alterations in HER2-positive breast cancer organoids. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42684430
- Development and characterization of [47Sc]Sc-NOTA-trastuzumab for targeted radiotherapy in primary and metastatic HER2 + breast cancer. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 21 Jul 2026 PMID 42480146
- LC-MS/MS Quantification and Solvent-Exposure Modeling Reveal a Mismatch Between Linker Exposure and Payload Release in Wild-Type Trastuzumab-VC-PABC-MMAE in Rat Plasma. Biomedical chromatography : BMC · 20 Jul 2026 PMID 42476813
- A novel insulin-like growth factor II-based masking domain for conditional activation of therapeutic antibodies. mAbs · 7 May 2026 PMID 42093183
- Trastuzumab Conjugation Enhances HER2-Positive Cell Association and Intratumoral Retention of Magnetite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia. ACS applied bio materials · 21 Apr 2026 PMID 42011850
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (2)
- FcBP-HFQ lipid-mediated trastuzumab modification of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles enhances delivery to HER2-expressing cancer cells. European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences · 18 Aug 2026 PMID 42612711
- DualGPT-AB: a dual-stage generative optimization framework for therapeutic antibody design. Nature computational science · 15 Apr 2026 PMID 41986730
Written from 15 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-06-17. Last written: 2026-09-16 by GPT. Corrections: 2026-09-26 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.