A breast cancer drug slowed brain lining tumors in mice
Original title: Preclinical evaluation of trastuzumab deruxtecan in a new HER2+ leptomeningeal colonization model.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done in animals, not people. Most findings at this stage never become treatments.
This was only done in mice.
The short version
In mice, a drug called T-DXd slowed cancer growing in the lining of the brain and spine.
What was studied. Researchers built a new mouse model of HER2 positive breast cancer. In it, the cancer spreads to the lining of the brain and spinal cord. They then compared a drug called trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) to other drugs in these mice.
What they found. T-DXd lowered the number of tumor spots in the brain. Spots in the lining dropped by 53%. Spots inside the brain tissue dropped by 72%. That was compared with a control shot. Mice given T-DXd lived 38 days. Mice given the control or another drug pair lived 20 to 24 days. Some mice lived beyond 60 days.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: When HER2 positive breast cancer spreads to the lining of the brain and spine, there are few options. This early work gives a reason to keep testing T-DXd for that problem in people. It also gives scientists a new mouse model to test other drugs.
What it doesn't mean: This was done in mice, not in people. It does not show the drug helps people with cancer in the brain lining. It is not a cure and it is not a promise of one. Nothing here changes care you can get today. Human trials would have to test this first, and that takes years.
Source: PubMed, August 24, 2026 · Read the original
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