Prodrugs for targeted cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Prodrugs are utilized in cancer therapy to improve selectivity and efficacy by targeting cancer-specific markers.
• Various strategies for prodrug development are continuously being explored and refined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an integrated review of prodrugs in targeted cancer therapy.
• To discuss passive and active targeting strategies, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on prodrug strategies in cancer therapy.
• Analysis of advantages, limitations, and clinical status of various prodrugs.
• Discussion of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as a prominent example.

Main Results:

• Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are widely used but face challenges like limited uptake, poor pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity.
• Difficulties in selective targeting, gene expression, and optimizing bystander effects hinder clinical application.

Conclusions:

• Development of new prodrugs is hampered by limitations in in vivo models, human metabolism complexity, and economic factors.
• Integrating prodrugs with cancer nanotechnology and aptamer-conjugated nanomaterials presents an efficient future strategy.