Antibody-Antibiotic Conjugates: A Comprehensive Review on Their Therapeutic Potentials Against BacterialInfections

Antibodies are significant agents in the immune system and have proven to be effective in treating bacterial infections. With the advancement of antibody engineering in recent decades, antibody therapy has evolved widely.

This review aimed to investigate a new method as a therapeutic platform for the treatment of bacterial infections and explore the novel features of this method in conferring pathogen specificity to broad-spectrum antibiotics.

A literature review was conducted addressing the following topics about antibody-antibiotic conjugates (AACs): (1) structure and mechanism of action; (2) clinical effectiveness; (3) advantages and disadvantages.

Antibody conjugates are designed to build upon the progress made in the development of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of diseases. Despite the growing emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria worldwide, novel antimicrobials have not been sufficiently expanded to combat the global crisis of antibiotic resistance. A recently developed strategy for the treatment of infectious diseases is the use of AACs, which are specifically activated only in host cells.

A novel therapeutic AAC employs an antibody to deliver the antibiotic to the bacteria. The AACs can release potent antibacterial components that unconjugated forms may not exhibit with an appropriate therapeutic index. This review highlights how this science has guided the design principles of an impressive AAC and discusses how the AAC model promises to enhance the antibiotic effect against bacterial infections.