Question

Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody based drug that binds a receptor present in many copies on the cells of certain aggressive and early onset breast cancers.
a. How does this immunotherapy treatment approach work?
b. How is it different from standard chemotherapy?

Answer 1

Ans :

a) Since Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody based drug they are used to target specific characteristics of cancer cells, such as a protein that allows cancer cells to grow in a rapid or abnormal way. Hence they are considered as Immune targeted therapies. When the monoclonal antibody binds to the target protein, it blocks the target protein’s function and kills the cancer cell. Herceptin target HER-2 positive breast cancer cells by binding to the HER-2 receptor and blocking cancer cells ability to receive growth signals.

b) The standard chemotherapy acts directly on the cancerous tumors by stopping their growth and their spread. It is a method of interfering with the cell division (mitosis). They damage or stress cancer cells which may lead to cell death. Chemotherapy can also affect healthy or normal cells. This can also cause side effects like hair loss, mouth sores, or nausea. While immunotherapy treatment help the immune system fight cancer by targeted therapy drugs that act on certain targets (protein) of cancer cells. It causes fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy because it targets just your immune system and not all the cells in your body. Also, Immunotherapy makes our immune system learns to go after cancer cells if they ever come back and hence cancer may be less likely to return.