Emerging Role of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in Therapeutics: An Appraisal

Abstract

Antibody drug conjugates intends to pursue the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as the potent source of delivering cytotoxic drugs to more specific site which binds selectively to the antigen expressing tumor cells. Inspite of the facts, various other safety profile must be considered while designing and optimizing ADC such as selecting congruous target antigen and method of conjugation. Each and every component of the ADC i.e antibody, linker and the drug should be optimized to the extent of desirable targeted therapy which will ameliorate as well as enhance tolerability. The past decade had witnessed advances in newer cancer treatments with extremely selective small molecules targeting the specific genetic abnormality causing the disease. The approach of traditional cytotoxic agents in the treatment of cancer, unlike the target specificity, they affect both healthy as well as cancer cells. In order to build a powerful and more specific cytotoxic agent with target oriented mAb’s designing attributes would lead to pertinent and potential breakthrough in cancer treatments. Therefore ADC’s were developed with the intention that antibody would target the specific antigen of the tumor wherein the drug attached to it would induce its cytotoxicity. Developement of new techniques and methods in implementing new generation ADC’s in the past decades incorporated non-immunogenic monoclonal antibodies comprising linkers having equitable stability and distinctly potent cytotoxic agents. Newer challenges although remain but comprehensive clinical accomplishment is generating increased interest in this therapeutic class of drugs.