From the Lab to Life-Saving Progress: The Journey of a Scientific Discovery

See how BCRF funding helps turn ideas into reality

A scientific discovery is less about serendipity and more a journey. It begins with an idea—perhaps a spark, perhaps the product of decades of research—that prompts bold, scientific questions and is fueled by the funding that makes answering them possible.

Here, we look at this process for one of the key breast cancer breakthroughs of the last 30 years: trastuzamab (Herceptin^®). Herceptin^® changed the landscape of treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer. In the early 1990s, patients with this aggressive subtype were not expected to live more than three to five years after diagnosis. Now, depending on the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, these patients have among the highest survival rates of all women with breast cancer.

But this was more than a discovery in the lab that led to a therapy that now saves lives worldwide. Herceptin’s development set the stage for other practice-changing advancements.

What was the spark?

For decades, chemotherapy was one of the only treatment options for many people with breast cancer. While lifesaving, it can affect healthy cells along with cancer cells, leading to side effects that add complexity to breast cancer care. So, researchers had an idea: What if they could identify what made tumor cells different from normal cells at the molecular level? Would this provide specific targets for treatment?

Answering these questions was challenging, but researchers pursued the idea. They discovered the presence of estrogen receptors (ERs) in some breast cancers. For these ER-positive breast cancers, disrupting the interaction of estrogen and its receptor was the target of treatment for years. But this did not work in every breast cancer and so the search continued to find other drivers. In the mid-1980s, researchers identified the HER2 oncogene. A team of scientists led by oncologist Dr. Dennis J. Slamon at UCLA saw that HER2’s amplification in breast cancer was associated with more aggressive disease. This made HER2 a long-sought-after target for therapy.

Their pivotal studies converged with other lines of research on monoclonal antibody technology, providing the foundation that would eventually lead to the development of trastuzumab, an antibody to HER2. Trastuzumab is the first-of-its kind, HER2-targeted drug that would eventually enter the clinic as a revolutionary breast cancer drug branded Herceptin^®. This is thanks to one idea nurtured by numerous scientific collaborations over decades.  

From Discovery to Treatment: Turning Science into Patient Care

Getting Herceptin^® to patients was not immediate, as is the case for bringing any drug out of the lab and into the clinic. What followed was robust clinical trial testing, which necessitated sustained funding, scientific perseverance, and collaboration—each a cornerstone in BCRF’s mission.  

It took collaboration between academic research scientists and industry to turn the discovery of HER2 as a breast cancer driver into the first HER2-targeted therapy. Sustained funding played a critical role in establishing the drug as a lifesaving treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer. A team led by BCRF’s founding scientific director, Dr. Larry Norton, and including Dr. Slamon was instrumental in clinical trials that established trastuzumab’s benefit in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.

BCRF-supported investigators Drs. Sandra Swain and Edith Perez led pivotal clinical trials that moved Herceptin^® to standard of care in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Collectively, and with BCRF-supported colleagues and other investigators, they demonstrated that Herceptin^® in concert with chemotherapy—rather than chemotherapy alone—resulted in a 52 percent decrease in the recurrence of HER2-positive breast cancer in patients who had undergone surgery. This improved survival by 33 percent. In what is largely considered one of the most practice-changing moments in breast oncology, their findings were presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.

Other BCRF-supported funding enabled follow-up studies that confirmed trastuzumab’s long-term survival advantage, helped develop strategies for managing cardiac side effects, and deciphered resistance mechanisms. Beyond that, BCRF’s sustained funding was instrumental in developing the next-generations of HER2-targeted therapies: other HER2-specific monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, plus antibody-drug conjugates, including the trastuzumab-containing T-DXd (Enhertu^®). Enhertu’s success in clinical trials—demonstrating its efficacy in breast cancers with low amounts of HER2— would be another practice-changing development in HER2-targeted therapy.

The journey of Herceptin^® keeps evolving as investigators continue to build on each discovery to fuel the next. It illustrates the iterative process that is scientific research.

BCRF’s Unique Approach to Breast Cancer Research Funding

The story of Herceptin’s advancement into clinical practice demonstrates how sustained funding can drive progress in cancer care—specifically breast cancer care—offering patients prolonged survival, a better quality of life, and hope.

Without funding continuity, the idea that led to the discovery of the HER2 oncogene, its influence on breast cancer, the development of Herceptin^®, and its expansion to patients would not have been possible. The momentum could have easily stalled. That’s why BCRF’s founders developed a unique funding model to support high-risk, high-reward science when ideas may still be unproven. The model includes a rigorous grant selection and renewal process that ensures scientific excellence and progress.

BCRF’s network of top breast cancer researchers across disciplines, institutions, and countries is highly collaborative. The foundation fosters ongoing partnerships and facilitates new ones, connecting researchers to spark the next great idea.

The Work Continues—And So Does the Need

From an idea to clinical practice, breakthroughs do not happen overnight. The journey of a discovery requires nurturing so that innovative ideas and the researchers who pursue them have freedom to make progress against breast cancer. That’s why sustained funding is imperative, and it’s made possible by your support. Some ways you can contribute include making a one-time or recurring donation, hosting or supporting an event that fundraises for BCRF, or giving in memory of a loved one. When you donate to BCRF, you’re not just giving to charity—you’re participating in progress.

Not long ago, chemotherapy was often the only systemic treatment available for breast cancer. Breakthroughs in research have transformed care, leading to more precise, targeted therapies and more personalized treatment strategies, giving patients and their families hope. But more research is needed, especially for metastatic breast cancer and health disparities. Adding another layer of complexity, recent tumult in public funding for cancer research has created gaps in the ability to advance scientific inquiry. Now more than ever, support for research is crucial so that the next discovery, already taking shape in today’s labs, is not neglected or overlooked.

With your support, we can drive the next generation of lifesaving breast cancer discoveries.

CTA: Support the next discovery by donating to BCRF today and helping advance research that saves lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I donate to breast cancer research?

Donating to breast cancer research through BCRF is impactful and straightforward. You can make a one-time or recurring donation online, knowing your gift directly supports the most promising, science-driven research across prevention, treatment, and survivorship.

How is scientific research funded?

Scientific research is funded through a combination of philanthropic donations through foundations like BCRF, government grants, and institutional support. At BCRF, donor contributions play the most essential role by providing flexible, sustained funding that allows researchers to pursue innovative ideas and accelerate discoveries from the lab to patient care.

How do I make a tribute gift for cancer research?

A tribute gift allows you to honor or remember someone while supporting life-saving breast cancer research. You can make a tribute or memorial donation through BCRF in someone’s name, creating a meaningful legacy that helps fund future breakthroughs.