Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cell killing ability of cytotoxic agents. With the approval of ADCs against chemo-resistant Hodgkin's lymphoma, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma and metastatic breast cancer, more than two dozen ADCs have now entered the clinic, with dozens more in preclinical development. It has taken decades to find the right combination of antibody target agent, linker and cytotoxic drug that avoid toxicities associated with the chemotherapeutic cargo and that ferry sufficient quantities of ADC to the tumor site. This video discusses some of the challenges facing targeted delivery of an ADC and the mechanisms by which these agents target cells.

Animation by Nucleus Inc..

Editorial advisor: Gregory P. Adams, Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Produced with support from Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

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