ANTIBODY–DRUG CONJUGATES: RECENT ADVANCES IN LINKER CHEMISTRY, PAYLOAD DESIGN AND TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY

  • Unique Paper ID: 209633
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 5
  • PageNo: 0-0
  • Abstract:
  • Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as promising targeted therapeutics that combine the molecular selectivity of monoclonal antibodies with the potent activity of cytotoxic or biologically active payloads. Their therapeutic performance depends strongly on the selection of antibody, linker, payload, conjugation strategy, and drug-to-antibody ratio. Recent developments in linker chemistry have introduced cleavable and non-cleavable systems capable of improving plasma stability and regulating intracellular drug release. Advances in site-specific conjugation have also enabled more homogeneous ADCs with improved pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. Meanwhile, payload innovation has expanded beyond conventional microtubule inhibitors to include topoisomerase inhibitors, DNA-damaging agents, dual payloads, and immune-modulating molecules. This review highlights recent progress in ADC architecture, linker engineering, payload optimization, targeted internalization, intracellular trafficking, and controlled drug release. It also discusses key limitations, including tumor heterogeneity, antigen escape, resistance, bystander effects, off-target toxicity, and manufacturing challenges, together with emerging strategies for next-generation ADC development.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{209633,
        author = {Samanvai Tetali and Netravati Patil and Vithal R. Bhandare and Sanika S. Ghorpade and Satej S. Dhisale and Sachin J. Kumbhar.},
        title = {ANTIBODY–DRUG CONJUGATES: RECENT ADVANCES IN LINKER CHEMISTRY, PAYLOAD DESIGN AND TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {5},
        pages = {0-0},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=209633},
        abstract = {Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as promising targeted therapeutics that combine the molecular selectivity of monoclonal antibodies with the potent activity of cytotoxic or biologically active payloads. Their therapeutic performance depends strongly on the selection of antibody, linker, payload, conjugation strategy, and drug-to-antibody ratio. Recent developments in linker chemistry have introduced cleavable and non-cleavable systems capable of improving plasma stability and regulating intracellular drug release. Advances in site-specific conjugation have also enabled more homogeneous ADCs with improved pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. Meanwhile, payload innovation has expanded beyond conventional microtubule inhibitors to include topoisomerase inhibitors, DNA-damaging agents, dual payloads, and immune-modulating molecules. This review highlights recent progress in ADC architecture, linker engineering, payload optimization, targeted internalization, intracellular trafficking, and controlled drug release. It also discusses key limitations, including tumor heterogeneity, antigen escape, resistance, bystander effects, off-target toxicity, and manufacturing challenges, together with emerging strategies for next-generation ADC development.},
        keywords = {Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs); targeted drug delivery; linker chemistry; payload engineering; site-specific conjugation; drug-to-antibody ratio; intracellular drug release; precision oncology},
        month = {October},
        }

Cite This Article

Tetali, S., & Patil, N., & Bhandare, V. R., & Ghorpade, S. S., & Dhisale, S. S., & Kumbhar., S. J. (2026). ANTIBODY–DRUG CONJUGATES: RECENT ADVANCES IN LINKER CHEMISTRY, PAYLOAD DESIGN AND TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 13(5), 0–0.

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