Title:Recent Advances in Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Breast Cancer Treatment
VOLUME: 24 ISSUE: 23
Author(s):Shanshan Deng, Zongtao Lin and Wei Li *
Affiliation:Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, 881 Madison Avenue, Room 561, Memphis, TN 38163
Keywords:Antibody-drug conjugates, breast cancer, drug-antibody ratios, monoclonal antibody, targeted therapy,
antigen.
Abstract:Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with roughly half a million
deaths per year worldwide. Among various approaches for breast cancer treatment, chemotherapy
is predominantly used for patients at stages II-IV, and monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy
is used for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression.
Integrating the tumor specificity provided by unique mAbs and cytotoxicity of small molecule
drugs, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a series of smart chemotherapeutics that have
recently shown great promise in treating a number of cancer types. ADCs are designed to selectively
attack and kill cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal tissues. Ado-Trastuzumab
emtansine (T-DM1) was the first and only ADC approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
for HER2-positive breast cancer. Following the success of T-DM1, many novel ADCs
have been developed, and their anticancer efficacies are currently undergoing preclinical or
clinical investigation. The development of ADCs is a rapidly progressing field, and this review
aims to summarize the most recent advances in ADCs targeting breast cancer over the past five
years (2011-2016). The review highlights compositions and mechanisms of action of these
newly developed ADCs and discusses current challenges and future directions of developing
new ADCs for improved treatment of breast cancer.
