This week on the blog we will be talking about the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab or Herceptin. First things first though, what are monoclonal antibodies? Normal immune antibodies are naturally produced in the body by plasma cells during an immune response, but a monoclonal antibody is a man-made artificial antibody created from a cloned human cell that binds a specific antigen. Cool, right? RIGHT! This specific monoclonal antibody, Herceptin, really peaked my interest because it prevents the reoccurrence of breast cancer in previously inflicted individuals. It was approve by The Food and Drug Administration in 1998.
More specifically, Herceptin is used intravenously coupled with chemotherapy to prevent a breast cancer reoccurrence in the patient, or it is used as a treatment method for breast cancers that have metastasized beyond the breasts. There is a specific receptor on the cancer cells of breast cancer that is common enough to be a target of the drug. The receptor is over-expressed in these cancers cells making the normal immune response unable to control the growth and production of new cancer cells. Herceptin blocks the receptor preventing over-expression and new growth of cells.
The common and uncommon side effects are listed below.
- diarrhea
- itchy/tingling skin
- infection of the upper respiratory tract or catheter-related infection
- cough
- nausea and vommiting
- rash
- fever/chills
- insomnia
- weight less
- stomatitis
- shortness of breath
- distortion of taste
- fatigue
- pain
- dizziness
- bone pain
- joint pain
- muscle pain
- acne
- increased heart rate
- edema
- headache
The more serious side effects include:
- heart failure
- pulmonary toxicity
- allergic reactions/anaphyalaxis
- fetal toxicity
- decreased blood cells both red and white
- herpes simplex infections
- UTI’s
- depression
- neutropenia
- anemia
- leukopenia
- sepsis
- glomerulonephritis
- angioedema
- interstitial pneumonia
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
Some notable exceptions to use are during pregnancy, although not completely understood can lead to fatal reactions in the baby. Herceptin should also not be used with cyclophosphamide and anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens, or with patients receiving adjuvant therapy. Mixing of these treatments can lead to the more serious side effects of the drug occurring within a day of beginning treatment. A medicine that enhances the effects of Herceptin by increasing the blood concentration in Paclitaxel.
From what I can infer from this massive amount of super cool information, is that this drug acts as an immune suppressor opening you up to more side effects while preventing the growth of cancer. So, win some lose some. Overall, these appear to be wonder drugs doing amazing things in the field of medicine and for humanity in
Ashley Broke's Blog 