A new radiation drug aimed at HER2 breast cancer, tested in cells and animals
Original title: Development and characterization of [47Sc]Sc-NOTA-trastuzumab for targeted radiotherapy in primary and metastatic HER2 + breast cancer.
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 lab cells and animals, not in people.
The short version
Scientists built a drug that carries radiation right to HER2 positive breast cancer, and early animal tests show it can reach tumors in the brain.
What was studied. Researchers made a new drug. It links a radioactive metal, scandium 47, to trastuzumab, a drug that finds HER2 positive breast cancer. They tested it in lab cells and in animal models of HER2 positive breast cancer, including a model where the cancer had spread to the brain.
What they found. The drug stayed stable in blood serum. It stuck closely to HER2 positive cancer cells, both in the lab and in the animals. Tumors treated with it did about as well as tumors given a 16x dose of trastuzumab alone, and no serious harm was seen. Early tests also showed the drug reached tumors in a model of HER2 positive cancer that had spread to the brain.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is a new idea for treating HER2 positive breast cancer, including cancer that spreads to the brain. So far it works in the lab and in animals. That is a starting point, not a treatment. Nothing here changes care today.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is coming soon. The work was done in lab cells and in animals, not in people. Drugs that work in animals often do not work the same way in humans. It has not been tested for safety in people. It is not approved, not available, and not a cure. Talk to your own care team about your options.
Source: PubMed, July 21, 2026 · Read the original
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