Antibody-Dependent Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (ADEPT)

The development of antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy is reviewed. Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) generates a cytotoxic drug selectively within deposits of cancer and is designed to give therapy with high levels of tumour selectivity coupled with exceptional potency. This is achieved by giving an enzyme linked to an antibody which targets it to the cancer; prodrug is then given when there are minimal enzyme levels in normal tissues but sufficient in the cancer for prodrug activation. The multi-component nature of ADEPT makes drug development more demanding than it is for developing single agents but is nevertheless being vigorously pursued, and if mastered will have broad application. This review considers how much progress there has been towards practical cancer treatment.