School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-15-2026
Abstract
Currently, there are very few efficient treatment options for hepatobiliary pancreatic cancer (HPC), which comprises pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), biliary tract cancer (BTC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HPC tumors are the most lethal malignant tumors in the world. Traditional chemotherapy offers little survival benefit and is associated with notable systemic toxicity, which has made antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) a hopeful treatment option. Strong cytotoxic drugs combine with monoclonal antibodies to attack tumor-associated antigens. This review discusses the benefits and current developments of Antibody–Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in treating HPC. It also covers their mechanisms of action, ongoing clinical trials, and the challenges of targeting specific antigens like B7-H3, c-MET, and Trop-2. ADCs deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells while protecting healthy tissues. It also addresses the favorable outcomes of several preclinical and clinical studies and highlights future paths to enhance ADC efficacy, including addressing tumor heterogeneity, overcoming resistance, and optimizing drug-delivery techniques. This approach has the possibility to further increase patient survival and minimize side effects in HPC patients. To the best of our knowledge and based on the available literature, we have made every effort to include all relevant publications; any inadvertent omissions are entirely unintentional.
Recommended Citation
Deb Nath, Tushar, Attrayo Mukherjee, Subhash C. Chauhan, and Debasish Bandyopadhyay. "Targeted Therapy in Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Cancer (HPC): Advantages and Advancements of Antibody Drug Conjugates, a Type of Chemo-Biologic Hybrid Drugs." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 6 (2026): 2707. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27062707
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DOI
10.3390/ijms27062707
Comments
© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.