Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics: tumor-activated prodrug therapy

The potential of targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer has not yet been realized owing to the difficulty of delivering therapeutic concentrations to the target site. While in vivo studies in animal tumor models have produced very encouraging results, clinical studies with antibody-drug conjugates have been less successful. This paper will review the current status of the targeted delivery approach and analyze some of the reasons for the lack of success so far. Starting with a historical perspective, this review will end with a description of newer, more potent and specific antibody-drug conjugates, which behave like tumor-activated prodrugs that may yet fulfil the promise of the targeted delivery approach for the treatment of cancer. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.