Antibody-drug conjugates to treat gastric cancer

Introduction Despite new treatment options, the long-term prognosis of recurrent or inoperable gastric cancer remains poor. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a new class of drugs and have shown promising results in clinical trials. Areas covered This review focuses on recent clinical findings and development of ADCs for gastric cancer, and summarizes the relevant resistance mechanisms or future directions of ADCs. Expert opinion Novel HER2-ADCs have led to breakthrough results forHER2(+)gastric cancer; however, several questions remain, especially in clinical settings. Translational research to elucidate ADCs' mechanisms of action or resistance will lead to more sophisticated use of ADCs and combination strategies.