ADC linkers (antibody-drug conjugate linkers) are molecules that are used to attach drugs to antibodies and are designed to be stable in the bloodstream but release the drug inside cancer cells.
ADC linkers are an essential component of ADCs, a type of cancer therapy that combines the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy drugs. The antibody recognizes and binds to a specific antigen on the surface of cancer cells, and the ADC linker releases the drug to selectively kill the cancer cells.