Clinical strategies with antibody–drug conjugates as potential modifications for virotherapy

Abstract

The ability to selectively target cancer cells makes antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) promising therapeutic options. They have been tested in clinical trials as a vehicle for tumor-specific delivery of cytotoxic payloads for a range of cancers. However, systemic administration of oncolytic virotherapy is challenging, because only a small portion of injected viruses reach the target. Despite the approval of higher viral doses, most viruses still end up in the liver, potentially causing toxicity in that organ. Integrating ADCs with virotherapy in the form of antibody–virus conjugates or virus–drug conjugates can potentially overcome these challenges and improve therapeutic outcomes.