Antibody conjugation is a process that has been revolutionized the treatment of many diseases. Cancer in particular has been a huge beneficiary. In this process, an antibody and a pharmacological agent are chemically linked to make it easy for the pharmacological agent to reach it site of action. The complex so formed is also known as an antibody drug complex, ADC.
There are many advantages of using these complexes. The most important of them is the fact that the monoclonal antibodies and the drugs work synergistically to kill cancerous cells. ADC can discriminate between the normal healthy cells and the abnormal cancerous cells. This contrasts sharply to what was the case previously where chemotherapeutic agents had very little discriminating ability. Consequently the side effects have now been greatly reduced.
The science that is involved in the process is rather complex but we will try to understand the main steps that take place. The main requirements for the process are a chemotherapeutic agent (cell toxin) and monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies have specific targets in the body. Each type of tumour secretes unique substances known as tumour markers and these can be easily targeted.
Once the complex gets into the blood, there is interaction between the monoclonal antibodies and the proteins on the cancer cells which act as antigens. A linkage is formed between the antibodies and the antigens. A signal is transmitted to the cell nucleus and the complex is subsequently absorbed into the cell. The drug is then released and acts on the cell to cause destruction.
The link formed between the ADC components must be stable. There are several types of links that exist. These are classified into two broad classes: cleavable and non-cleavable. The cleavable links include the disulfides and the peptides and the non-cleavable are the thioethers. Both types of linkages have been shown to be safe to users through clinical trials. ADCs comprising cleavable links usually have some enzymes.
There are a number of other applications other than drug delivery. Radionuclide agents have been delivered to target cells in very much the same way. This technique is popularly known as radioimmunotherapy and carries numerous advantages over conventional radiotherapy. For instance, the high specificity for targets has resulted in way fewer side effects than was the case in the past. It is also an effective method for treatment of metastatic disease.
There are a number of disadvantages that users should be aware of. One of the disadvantages is the fact that tumours have tested for antigens before the development of antibodies. This requires technical skill that is not always available and is a very expensive undertaking. The other disadvantage is that some degree of dilution takes place and the doses that reach the target tissue may not be sufficiently lethal to cause destruction.
Antibody conjugation has indeed been a breakthrough in the development of therapies. Research geared towards making the process more efficient is ongoing. This will result in even less side effects and higher cure rates.
There are many advantages of using these complexes. The most important of them is the fact that the monoclonal antibodies and the drugs work synergistically to kill cancerous cells. ADC can discriminate between the normal healthy cells and the abnormal cancerous cells. This contrasts sharply to what was the case previously where chemotherapeutic agents had very little discriminating ability. Consequently the side effects have now been greatly reduced.
The science that is involved in the process is rather complex but we will try to understand the main steps that take place. The main requirements for the process are a chemotherapeutic agent (cell toxin) and monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies have specific targets in the body. Each type of tumour secretes unique substances known as tumour markers and these can be easily targeted.
Once the complex gets into the blood, there is interaction between the monoclonal antibodies and the proteins on the cancer cells which act as antigens. A linkage is formed between the antibodies and the antigens. A signal is transmitted to the cell nucleus and the complex is subsequently absorbed into the cell. The drug is then released and acts on the cell to cause destruction.
The link formed between the ADC components must be stable. There are several types of links that exist. These are classified into two broad classes: cleavable and non-cleavable. The cleavable links include the disulfides and the peptides and the non-cleavable are the thioethers. Both types of linkages have been shown to be safe to users through clinical trials. ADCs comprising cleavable links usually have some enzymes.
There are a number of other applications other than drug delivery. Radionuclide agents have been delivered to target cells in very much the same way. This technique is popularly known as radioimmunotherapy and carries numerous advantages over conventional radiotherapy. For instance, the high specificity for targets has resulted in way fewer side effects than was the case in the past. It is also an effective method for treatment of metastatic disease.
There are a number of disadvantages that users should be aware of. One of the disadvantages is the fact that tumours have tested for antigens before the development of antibodies. This requires technical skill that is not always available and is a very expensive undertaking. The other disadvantage is that some degree of dilution takes place and the doses that reach the target tissue may not be sufficiently lethal to cause destruction.
Antibody conjugation has indeed been a breakthrough in the development of therapies. Research geared towards making the process more efficient is ongoing. This will result in even less side effects and higher cure rates.
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