Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of How to Selectively Deliver Payloads

Abstract

Mariana Ribeiro Monteiro,1,2 Natalia Cristina Cardoso Nunes,3 Aumilto Augusto da Silva Junior,4 Angelo Bezerra de Souza Fêde,5 Gustavo de Oliveira Bretas,6 Cristiano de Pádua Souza,7 Max Mano,8 Jesse Lopes da Silva6,9,10 1Instituto Americas, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Hospital Samaritano, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Instituto Americas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 4Hospital Santa Catarina Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil; 5DASA Oncologia, São Paulo, Brazil; 6Grupo Oncoclínicas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 7Hospital do Câncer de Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil; 8Grupo Oncoclínicas, São Paulo, Brazil; 9Divisão de Pesquisa Clínica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto Nacional do Câncer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 10Hospital da Força Aérea do Galeão, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCorrespondence: Mariana Ribeiro Monteiro, Email [email protected]: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have surfaced as a promising group of anticancer agents employing the precise targeting capacity of monoclonal antibodies to transport highly effective cytotoxic payloads. Compared to conventional chemotherapy, they aim to selectively eradicate cancer cells while minimizing off-target toxicity on healthy tissues. An increasing body of evidence has provided support for the efficacy of ADCs in treating breast cancer across various contexts and tumor subtypes, resulting in significant changes in clinical practice. Nevertheless, unlocking the full potential of these therapeutic agents demands innovative molecular designs to address complex clinical challenges, including drug resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and treatment-related adverse events. This thorough review provides an in-depth analysis of the clinical data on ADCs, offering crucial insights from pivotal clinical trials that assess the efficacy of ADCs in diverse breast cancer settings. This aids in providing a comprehensive understanding of the current state of ADCs in breast cancer therapy, while also providing valuable perspectives for the future.Keywords: breast cancer, cancer therapy, target therapy, antibody–drug conjugates, ADCs

Keywords

• breast cancer
• cancer therapy
• target therapy
• antibody–drug conjugates
• adcs