The field of oncology is continuously seeking to find effective treatment therapies with limited side effects. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a promising class of cancer therapies that have been shown to be effective with limited side effects. Although promising, these therapies experience shortcomings, such as the stability and reproducibility of current conjugation methods. Historically, ADCs have been produced by stochastic conjugation methods; however, new methods of site-specific conjugation have evolved to mitigate current ADC shortcomings. In this article, we highlight the success of ADCs as well as some of their challenges. We also highlight the shortcomings of stochastic conjugation and explore the various site-specific conjugation methods and their advantages over stochastic conjugation.
Keywords: ADC; antibody-drug conjugates; conjugation; site-specific conjugation; stochastic conjugation.