Targeted treatment that hits tumors while sparing healthy cells.
An ADC is a targeted cancer treatment. It combines three components: a targeted antibody, a powerful chemotherapy drug, and a linker that connects them.
Antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, are a class of bioconjugates and immunoconjugates — an antibody linked to a cytotoxic (anticancer) payload or drug.
Among treatment options for cancer, chemotherapy is the most widely used. Its main limitation is low target specificity. Unlike chemotherapy, ADCs target tumor cells while sparing healthy cells — combining the targeting properties of monoclonal antibodies with the cancer-killing capabilities of cytotoxic drugs, designed to discriminate between healthy and diseased tissue.
An anticancer drug is coupled to an antibody that targets a specific tumor antigen (or protein) that, ideally, is only found in or on the tumor cells. The biochemical reaction that occurs upon attaching triggers a signal in the tumor cell, which then absorbs — or internalizes — the antibody together with the linked cytotoxin. After the ADC is internalized, the cytotoxin kills the cancer. This targeting ability limits side effects for patients and gives a wider therapeutic window than other chemotherapeutic agents.
Antibody — targets a specific tumor antigen. Linker — connects the antibody to the payload and holds them together until delivery. Payload — the potent cytotoxic drug that kills the cancer cell once internalized.
ADCs have shown superior efficacy compared to traditional chemotherapy in various cancers, including solid body and hematologic tumors. Research is ongoing to enhance the design of ADCs — improving linker stability and payload potency — which will hopefully provide better therapeutic outcomes.