Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Basic Concepts and Structures

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are new modality of anticancer therapeutics. To enhance the translation, three components of an ADC drug—antibody, linker, and cytotoxin— need to be carefully optimized. The selection of antibody and target plays a key role in the success of ADCs. Ideal targets are the antigens which are expressed only on tumor cells. As one of crucial component, linkers such as cleavable linkers and noncleavable linkers have been explored. Finally, the highly effective payloads including tubulin inhibitors and DNA-damaging antibiotics have been discussed.