Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41039110›Full record

ReviewNature reviews. Cancer2025

Unveiling the molecular and immunological drivers of antibody-drug conjugates in cancer treatment.

Alfred Zippelius, Sara M Tolaney, Paolo Tarantino, Joseph P Balthasar, Greg M Thurber

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nature reviews. Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Molecular Profiling of Tisotumab Vedotin-Treated Patients Identifies Immune Pathways Associated with Clinical Activity.Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Alfred ZippeliusCancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Sara M TolaneyDivision of Breast Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Paolo TarantinoDivision of Breast Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Joseph P BalthasarDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center for Protein Therapeutics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6340-9370
Greg M ThurberDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. gthurber@umich.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7570-2080

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

After decades of investment, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are finally demonstrating their potential, marked by a growing number of clinical approvals, applications in earlier lines of treatment and integration into drug combinations, including immunotherapies. This progress has spurred investment in developing new ADCs and expanding the use of approved ADCs in clinical practice. The design of ADCs is complex, involving multiple molecular components that interact with both tumour and host tissue microenvironments. In this Review, we explore the molecular and immunological factors influencing ADC efficacy and toxicity. We describe how the molecular components of ADCs determine their systemic, tissue and cellular distribution, which ultimately dictates therapeutic efficacy. These interactions also determine the toxicity profile and set limitations on maximum dosing. Finally, we discuss the impact of ADC treatment on immune cells, emphasizing the distinct but interconnected roles of immunogenic cell death, activation of immune cells such as dendritic cells and antibody-Fc interactions. These mechanisms are crucial for increasing efficacy beyond the direct cytotoxic effects of the payload. By providing insights into the intricate interactions of ADCs, this Review aims to inform the rational design of combination therapies and guide the development of the next generation of clinically effective ADCs.

Indexed as

ImmunoconjugatesNeoplasmsAnimalsHumansImmunotherapyTumor MicroenvironmentImmunoconjugates

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.