The Critical Importance of Linker Chemistry for Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)

ADC Chemical Linkers Are Vital

The covalent conjugation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and cytotoxic drugs, known as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), is rapidly becoming a powerful component of cancer treatment. Hundreds of thousands of research articles and reviews are readily accessible on the World Wide Web, reporting and discussing ADCs in varying levels of detail. However, while much attention has been paid to the antibodies and the cytotoxic agents, less attention has been paid until recently to the chemical linkers that connect the targeting mAb with the toxic payload. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that an ADC's linker is as important as the mAb and the cytotoxin the mAb carries.

Drug Discovery

The 2022 book Chemical Linkers in Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), edited by Floris van Delft and John M. Lambert, adds vital insights to the discussion of chemical linkers for ADCs. Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, Chemical Linkers in Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) is part of the Royal Society's "Drug Discovery" series and is a follow-on to the 2019 book Cytotoxic Payloads for Antibody–Drug Conjugates, edited by David E. Thurston and Paul J. M. Jackson. In this book, editors van Delft and Lambert introduce the topic of Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Chapter 1. Quanta BioDesign's own Greg Hermanson (author of the world-famous Bioconjugate Techniques) joins Floris van Delft in Chapter 2, "Antibody Conjugation Techniques."

Moreover, Quanta BioDesign scientists Matt Giese, Robert Woodman, Greg Hermanson, and Paul Davis (Quanta BioDesign's founder) jointly wrote Chapter 9, "The Use of Uniform PEG Compounds in the Design of ADCs." The other chapters in this book include discussions on how linker design impacts ADC properties (Chapter 3), non-cleavable linkers (Chapter 4), protease-sensitive linkers (Chapter 5), acid-labile linkers (Chapter 6), linker strategies for releasing alcohol-containing payloads from ADCs (Chapter 7), the use of click-cleavable linkers to aim at non-internalizing targets in the tumor microenvironment (Chapter 8), increasing linker-drug polarity (Chapter 10), and a discussion of the novel linker technology in the ADC Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) (Chapter 11).

Copies Available

Chemical Linkers in Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) is an invaluable addition to the library of anyone involved in discovering, designing, or testing ADCs. Simply stated, if you are involved with ADCs, you must understand the types and importance of ADC linker chemistry, and this book is an essential addition to your library. You can add this book to your library now by purchasing it here on our website. Moreover, if you buy more than $1,500 worth of dPEG^® products from us, we will include a free copy of the book with your order.