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Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Initial Evaluation of Antibody-conjugates Modified with Viral-derived Peptides for Increasing Cellular Accumulation and Improving Tumor Targeting
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Harnessing cellular functionality for targeted cancer therapy: advancements in cell-drug conjugates and their

Yan Liu1, Rui Yin1, Yuan Tian1

  • 1School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, NO.24 Heping Road, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China.

Progress in Biomedical Engineering (Bristol, England)
|June 16, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Cell-drug conjugates (CDCs) use the body's own cells to deliver cancer drugs directly to tumors. This innovative approach enhances precision therapy and therapeutic efficacy for improved cancer treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Oncology
  • Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

  • Targeted cancer therapy aims to improve drug delivery and efficacy.
  • Cell-drug conjugates (CDCs) leverage cellular properties for precise drug delivery.
  • Existing reviews on CDC preparation and function in cancer therapy are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review cell-drug conjugates (CDCs) in cancer therapy.
  • To explore CDC targeting mechanisms, fabrication, and in vivo pharmacology.
  • To evaluate clinical advancements and challenges of CDCs for potential translation.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of scientific literature on cell-drug conjugates.
  • Analysis of targeting mechanisms, including chemotaxis and immune evasion.
  • Evaluation of various cell types used as drug carriers (e.g., RBCs, stem cells, immune cells).

Main Results:

  • CDCs enable highly specific drug delivery and enhance therapeutic efficacy.
  • Cellular carriers can overcome biological barriers and accumulate in the tumor microenvironment.
  • Diverse cell types offer unique characteristics for targeted cancer treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Cell-drug conjugates represent a transformative approach to precision cancer therapy.
  • Further research and development are needed to address technical challenges for clinical translation.
  • CDCs hold significant potential for advancing future cancer treatment strategies.
Keywords:
cancercell-drug conjugatesclinical translationdrug delivery

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