Antibody drug conjugates: three jobs in one molecule

An antibody drug conjugate does three things. The antibody finds the target cell, the linker holds everything together until it arrives, and the payload does the damage. This figure was made for Medscape Education, part of WebMD, and is credited to WebMD Global. It was built so a reader could take those three parts in one at a time.

Separating the parts

Rather than label one finished molecule, the figure sets the antibody, the linker and the payload out in a simple table, so the characteristics of each can be read without the others getting in the way.

Drawing mechanism of action

Drug mechanism of action is a large part of my work at Medscape Education, alongside oncology, haematology and dermatology. The challenge is always the same: show enough chemistry to be truthful, and no more than a clinician needs to follow the point.

The ADC figure sits in the clinical and editorial series.