Biological drugs, as well as animal testing, concern both consumers and researchers. But, as these drugs can save or extend lives, they provide important advances in medicine.
PUBLISHED July 16, 2019
Felicia Mitchell is a poet and writer who makes her home in southwestern Virginia, where she teaches at Emory & Henry College. She was diagnosed with Stage 2b HER2-positive breast cancer in 2010. Website: www.feliciamitchell.net
I have always loved hamsters. When I was in treatment for breast cancer, I became intrigued with the evolution of Herceptin (trastuzumab) for many reasons, not the least of which was how hamsters contributed to the development of the monoclonal antibody that came on the market in recent years to save or extend many lives of individuals with HER2-positive breast cancer.
According to Genentech, which pioneered the drug, development took "trillions of monoclonal Chinese hamster ovary cells." What Herceptin does, to put it in simple terms, is deregulate a protein (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) that is overexpressed to make cancer more aggressive. In some cases, overexpression influences hormone-positive cancers. In others, as in mine, it correlates with hormone-negative status, a less common diagnosis. It is thrilling to think that Herceptin targets a scary oncogene.
According to Genentech, which pioneered the drug, development took "trillions of monoclonal Chinese hamster ovary cells." What Herceptin does, to put it in simple terms, is deregulate a protein (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) that is overexpressed to make cancer more aggressive. In some cases, overexpression influences hormone-positive cancers. In others, as in mine, it correlates with hormone-negative status, a less common diagnosis. It is thrilling to think that Herceptin targets a scary oncogene.
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