An Overview of the Development and Preclinical Evaluation of Antibody–Drug Conjugates for Non-Oncological Applications

Abstract

Typically, antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are made up of a humanized antibody and a small-molecule medication connected by a chemical linker. ADCs’ ability to deliver cytotoxic agents to the specific site with reduced side effects showed promising results in oncology. To date, fourteen ADCs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and approximately 297 ADCs are in pre-clinical/clinical stages in the oncology area. Inspired by these outcomes, a few scientists explored the potential of antibody–drug conjugates in non-oncological conditions such as arthritis, myasthenia gravis, immunological disorders, and kidney failure. However, there are limited data available on the non-oncological applications of antibody–drug conjugates. This current review focuses on the non-oncological applications of antibody–drug conjugates, their developmental studies, testing procedures, in vitro evaluations, and pre-clinical testing. Additionally, a summary of the restrictions, difficulties, and prospects for ADCs in non-oncological applications is provided.