Peroxide-cleavable linkers for antibody-drug conjugates

Antibody-drug conjugates containing peroxide-cleavable arylboronic acid linkers are described, which target the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer. The arylboronic acid linkers rapidly release a payload in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, but remain stable in plasma. Anti-HER2 and PD-L1 peroxide-cleavable ADCs exhibited potent cytotoxicity in vitro.

All-in-one disulfide bridging enables the generation of antibody conjugates with modular cargo loading

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are valuable therapeutic entities which leverage the specificity of antibodies to selectively deliver cytotoxins to antigen-expressing targets such as cancer cells. However, current methods for their construction still suffer from a number of shortcomings. For instance, using a single modification technology to modulate the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) in integer increments while maintaining homogeneity and stability remains exceptionally challenging. Herein, we report a novel method for the generation of antibody conjugates with modular cargo loading from native antibodies. Our approach relies on a new class of disulfide rebridging linkers, which can react with eight cysteine residues, thereby effecting all-in-one bridging of all four interchain disulfides in an IgG1 antibody with a single linker molecule. Modification of the antibody with the linker in a 1 : 1 ratio enabled the modulation of cargo loading in a quick and selective manner through derivatization of the linker with varying numbers of payload attachment handles to allow for attachment of either 1, 2, 3 or 4 payloads (fluorescent dyes or cytotoxins). Assessment of the biological activity of these conjugates demonstrated their exceptional stability in human plasma and utility for cell-selective cytotoxin delivery or imaging/diagnostic applications.

Non-internalising antibody–drug conjugates

This review introduces non-internalising Antibody–Drug Conjugates (ADCs), highlighting the linker chemistry that enables extracellular payload release.

Rapid and robust cysteine bioconjugation with vinylheteroarenes

Methods for residue-selective and stable modification of canonical amino acids enable the installation of distinct functionality which can aid in the interrogation of biological processes or the generation of new therapeutic modalities. Herein, we report an extensive investigation of reactivity and stability profiles for a series of vinylheteroarene motifs. Studies on small molecule and protein substrates identified an optimum vinylheteroarene scaffold for selective cysteine modification. Utilisation of this lead linker to modify a number of protein substrates with various functionalities, including the synthesis of a homogeneous, stable and biologically active antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) was then achieved. The reagent was also efficient in labelling proteome-wide cysteines in cell lysates. The efficiency and selectivity of these reagents as well as the stability of the products makes them suitable for the generation of biotherapeutics or studies in chemical biology.

A dual-enzyme cleavable linker for antibody-drug conjugates

A novel enzyme cleavable linker for antibody-drug conjugates is reported. The 3-O-sulfo-β-galactose linker is cleaved sequentially by two lysosomal enzymes - arylsulfatase A and β-galactosidase - to release the payload in targeted cells. An α-HER2 antibody-drug conjugate synthesised using this highly hydrophilic dual-cleavable linker exhibited excellent cytotoxicity and selectivity.

Site-selective modification strategies in antibody-drug conjugates

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) harness the highly specific targeting capabilities of an antibody to deliver a cytotoxic payload to specific cell types. They have garnered widespread interest in drug discovery, particularly in oncology, as discrimination between healthy and malignant tissues or cells can be achieved. Nine ADCs have received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration and more than 80 others are currently undergoing clinical investigations for a range of solid tumours and haematological malignancies. Extensive research over the past decade has highlighted the critical nature of the linkage strategy adopted to attach the payload to the antibody. Whilst early generation ADCs were primarily synthesised as heterogeneous mixtures, these were found to have sub-optimal pharmacokinetics, stability, tolerability and/or efficacy. Efforts have now shifted towards generating homogeneous constructs with precise drug loading and predetermined, controlled sites of attachment. Homogeneous ADCs have repeatedly demonstrated superior overall pharmacological profiles compared to their heterogeneous counterparts. A wide range of methods have been developed in the pursuit of homogeneity, comprising chemical or enzymatic methods or a combination thereof to afford precise modification of specific amino acid or sugar residues. In this review, we discuss advances in chemical and enzymatic methods for site-specific antibody modification that result in the generation of homogeneous ADCs.

General dual functionalisation of biomacromolecules via a cysteine bridging strategy

Site-selective modification of peptides and proteins has resulted in the development of a host of novel tools for the study of cellular systems or the synthesis of enhanced biotherapeutics. There is a need for useful methodologies that enable site-selective modification of native peptides or proteins, which is even more prevalent when modification of the biomolecule with multiple payloads is desired. Herein, we report the development of a novel dual functional divinylpyrimidine (dfDVP) platform that enables robust and modular modification of peptides, antibody fragments and antibodies. These biomacromolecules could be easily functionalised with a range of functional payloads (e.g. fluorescent dyes, cytotoxic warheads or cell-penetrating tags). Importantly, the dual functionalised peptides and antibodies demonstrated exquisite bioactivity in a range of in vitro cellular assays, showcasing the enhanced utility of these bioactive conjugates.

Sulfatase-cleavable linkers for antibody-drug conjugates

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a class of targeted drug delivery agents combining the cell-selectivity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and the cytotoxicity of small molecules. These two components are joined by a covalent linker, whose nature is critical to the efficacy and safety of the ADC. Enzyme-cleavable dipeptidic linkers have emerged as a particularly effective ADC linker type due to their ability to selectively release the payload in the lysosomes of target cells. However, these linkers have a number of drawbacks, including instability in rodent plasma and their inherently high hydrophobicity. Here we show that arylsulfate-containing ADC linkers are cleaved by lysosomal sulfatase enzymes to tracelessly release their payload, while circumventing the instability problems associated with dipeptide-linkers. When incorporated with trastuzumab and the highly potent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) payload, the arylsulfate-containing ADC 2 and ADC 3 were more cytotoxic than the non-cleavable ADC 4 against HER2-positive cells, while maintaining selectivity over HER2-negative cells. We propose that the stability, solubility and synthetic tractability of our arylsulfate linkers make them an attractive new motif for cleavable ADC linkers, with clear benefits over the widely used dipeptidic linkers.

Cleavable linkers in antibody–drug conjugates

This tutorial review summarises the advances in the field of cleavable linker technologies for antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs).