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Review
. 2021 Jun 5;14(1):88.
doi: 10.1186/s13045-021-01097-z.

Antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of lymphoma: clinical advances and latest progress

Yurou Chu  1 , Xiangxiang Zhou  2   3   4   5   6   7 , Xin Wang  8   9   10   11   12   13
Affiliations
Review

Antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of lymphoma: clinical advances and latest progress

Yurou Chu et al. J Hematol Oncol. .

Abstract

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a promising class of immunotherapies with the potential to specifically target tumor cells and ameliorate the therapeutic index of cytotoxic drugs. ADCs comprise monoclonal antibodies, cytotoxic payloads with inherent antitumor activity, and specialized linkers connecting the two. In recent years, three ADCs, brentuximab vedotin, polatuzumab vedotin, and loncastuximab tesirine, have been approved and are already establishing their place in lymphoma treatment. As the efficacy and safety of ADCs have moved in synchrony with advances in their design, a plethora of novel ADCs have garnered growing interest as treatments. In this review, we provide an overview of the essential elements of ADC strategies in lymphoma and elucidate the up-to-date progress, current challenges, and novel targets of ADCs in this rapidly evolving field.

Keywords: Antibody-drug conjugates; Clinical trials; Immunotherapy; Lymphoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structure and properties of an antibody-drug conjugate. MMAE: monomethyl auristatin E; MMAF: monomethyl auristatin F; DM1: N20-deacetyl-N20-(3-mercapto-1-oxopropyl)-maytansine; DM4: N20-deacetyl-N20-(4-mercapto-4-methyl-1-oxopentyl)-maytansine; MC: maleimidocaproyl; SMCC: succinimidyl-4-(N-maleimidomethyl)-cyclohexane-1-carboxylate; PBD: pyrrolobenzodiazepines
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
ADC mechanisms of action. Once bound to the corresponding cell-surface antigen of cancer cells, the ADC is internalized, and the cytotoxic payload is released, resulting in cell apoptosis. The drug can also diffuse into adjacent cells regardless of antigen positivity, resulting in cell death, termed “bystander killing”
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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