CHAPTER 20: Protein Toxins as Antibody–Drug Conjugate (ADC) Payloads

Targeted therapeutics such as antibody–drug conjugates and immunotoxins represent a new era of therapeutic intervention aimed at improving patient outcomes by reducing off-target toxicities and increasing drug concentrations at the intended disease target. Targeted delivery of protein-based therapeutic payloads and biological-response-modifying proteins, like cytokines, provides another approach and therapeutic mechanisms to modify the tissue microenvironment. This chapter will focus on protein-based payloads that can be delivered with targeting agents, such as antibodies, antibody-like scaffolds, ligands or peptides.