Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are increasingly being designed and used as highly targeted cancer therapies – a modern “magic bullet” approach.

They consist of an antibody conjugated to a cytotoxic drug via a chemical linker, thereby enabling delivery of the toxic payload to cancer cells expressing a surface antigen of interest. This approach relies on low level or no expression on healthy cells, high expression on the cancer cells, and internalization of the antigen-ADC complex to allow efficient delivery of the small molecule and a reduction in side effects.

Antibody target characterization and validation of internalization is crucial early in the process, with cell-based assays an essential part. This webinar provides an overview of the cell-based assays set up for this purpose. The suite of assays includes flow cytometry on the Intellicyt iQue screener, imaging on the Incucyte® and high content platforms, and assessment of cell cytotoxicity using secondary antibodies conjugated to potent toxins. The challenges of screening, from the initial stages with hybridoma supernatants through to candidate antibodies, towards effectively identifying antibodies with the desired properties of an ADC are highlighted.

#cellanalysis #Cancerresearch #flowcytometry