Molecular targeted therapy of breast cancer eyesight

The end of the century, with the development of medical science, people have reasons for the incidence of cancer conducted in-depth study of the mechanism of cancer-causing genes gradually clear up, for the cancer-causing gene in high-end bio-technology continues to be used in clinical medicine, a kinds of new treatments gradually on the rise, this is the molecular target therapy. Cancer Therapeutics thus entered a new era of molecular biology. The so-called molecular targeted therapy, is the cellular and molecular level, has made it clear for the carcinogenicity of loci (the locus within the tumor cells may be a protein molecule, it can be a gene fragment), to design the appropriate treatment, After the drug into the body specifically to select only those cancer sites combined, and play a role, leading to tumor cell-specific death, but would spare the normal tissue around the tumor cells, it is also known as molecular targeted therapy “bio-missile.”

Factors in breast cancer incidence, there is a cancer-causing gene called HER2 played a major role, nearly a third of breast cancer patients over the existence of HER2 gene expression, the gene amplification has become the clinical to assess the degree of malignancy of breast cancer, breast cancer recurrence and prognosis in patients with an important indicator of risk.

Is usually the treatment of breast cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy and radiation therapy combination of comprehensive treatment, after long-term medical practice, the above four kinds of treatment to achieve a stable, reliable efficacy, but as time goes on, as a traditional treatment encountered in the development of a bottleneck, it is difficult to further improve the efficacy and toxicity obviously, can no longer meet the growing demands breast cancer patients.

Mentioned earlier, nearly one-third of the existence of breast cancer-causing genes in patients with HER2 over-expression of malignant tumor cells in these patients a high degree of easy to relapse and produce distant metastasis, treatment is difficult, the future prognosis is relatively poor . With regard to such characteristics, engage in clinical drug research experts and clinicians in close cooperation, after years of efforts, developed the first one targeted against the HER2 gene therapy trastuzumab, started in 1998 so far in clinical applications It has been 10 years, proved to be an effective drug. Trastuzumab is a humanized antibody can be specifically expressed and gene HER2 protein receptors in the tumor cell membrane addition, thereby blocking access of information dissemination of tumor cells to achieve the purpose of treatment of malignant tumors.

Since the molecular targeted therapy has such a magical effect, it is not all breast cancer patients can be used? Of course not, the use of molecular targeted therapy is the strict conditions, it is aimed at a specific target, as required prior to radar, missile launchers and satellites to help find and lock on to targets, it also requires some supplementary means. Take trastuzumab for the use of breast cancer patients before the first body to determine whether there could be targets of attack, namely, gene expression of HER2 protein receptors, the clinical detection of HER2 gene is equivalent to the use of radar and satellite positioning, Once the existence of clearly defined objectives, the use of trastuzumab will be able to achieve significant anti-effects; Otherwise, if the target is not clear, that is negative for HER2 gene in patients with the blind to use only less effective.

Thus, in the early stage of breast cancer patients during surgery should be routine testing of HER2 gene expression in order for the future of molecular targeted therapy to create favorable conditions, so that “precision-guided, eyesight.”