Bruce Abrahamse

Bruce Abrahamse

January 29, 2025

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Drug Eliminates Tumors in Mice

Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer treatment typically requires surgery and hormone therapies that can last for years. Additionally, these therapies are often accompanied by a range of undesirable side effects. Luckily, a new breast cancer drug treatment may potentially eliminate the need for these surgeries and therapies. A new study found that a single dose was able to eliminate a number of breast tumors in mice subjects. Read on further to learn more about this wonder drug. 

No Perfect Breast Cancer Treatments At Present

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Breast cancer is rated as among the most common cancer types. While more and more people survive a breast cancer diagnosis in our modern age, there is still no such thing as a perfect breast cancer treatment. When someone has been diagnosed with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, it means that their tumor has developed receptors for estrogen. This triggers the cells to grow, which makes the normal hormone therapies have a strong impact on the whole body. 

The Side Effects of Existing Breast Cancer Treatments

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According to Lbbc.org, the side effects caused by existing breast cancer treatments include fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and pain. The risk of bones becoming brittle and weak also increases, as does the risk of developing endometrial cancer. The worst part is that even if the person does manage to survive all of those horrible side effects, they still run the risk of the cancer returning in five years. So, obviously the solution would be to develop a treatment that was more effective and does not include all the unwanted side effects. 

Enter ErSO

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For a while now, researchers have been trying to create a breast cancer treatment capable of targeting the cancer cells without causing these unpleasant side effects. Dr Paul Hergenrother and his team have recently been working with ErSO, a small-molecule pharmaceutical company. The study was published in the journal ACS Central Science. This drug works by making tumor cells swell until they die through a process known as necrosis. Initial mice studies were proving hopeful, yet the treatment was still accompanied by a range of side effects.  A derivative, ErSO-TFPy, was then developed, which remained equally effective without causing any side effects. 

A Single Dose Is Enough

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The researchers discovered that a single dose of this derivative was sufficient to either almost or completely get rid of tumors of all sizes. Further experiments were also carried out with rats and dogs. All the tests revealed a marked decrease in accompanying side effects. This marks a significant moment in the search for effective breast cancer treatments that do not include so many side effects. It essentially could prevent many patients from having to experience years of endless therapies. According to the author of the study, “An anticancer regimen that consists of a single dose, or a handful of doses, could change the face of breast cancer treatment”. 

Read More: Is Cancer Reversible? New Treatment May Transform Cancer Cells into Healthy Ones

No Guarantees

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While mice tests showed some rather promising results, there is no assurance that this success will translate to human subjects. The researchers, however, did find that the drug was capable of killing cultured human estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lines. Yet studying cells in a Petri dish does not always equate to observing this process in a human patient. Therefore, there is still a long way to go before this new drug treatment can qualify for human use. Yet, the study’s researchers remain optimistic about its potential.

According to Dr. Hergenrother, “It is very rare for a compound to shrink tumors in mouse models of breast cancer, let alone completely eradicate those tumors with a single dose. So, we are eager for ErSO-TFPy to advance for the treatment of breast cancer”. We may still need to wait a while for human test results to be revealed. Until then, we can sit back and marvel at the potential that this new breast cancer treatment offers the world. 

Read More: Man Devastated After Discovering He Was Never Diagnosed with Cancer Despite 9 Years of Chemotherapy