PEN-866 carries SN-38, an active metabolite of the topoisomerase inhibitor irinotecan, into the tumor and accumulates in the tumor by the selective binding of the small molecule with the intracellular target heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). for the treatment of this disease. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the use of drug conjugates for lung malignancy treatment, including structure-based drug design, mechanisms of action, clinical trials, and side effects. Furthermore, difficulties, potential methods and future potential customers are offered. Keywords:Drug conjugates, Lung malignancy, Drug discovery, Clinical practice == Introduction == == Current status of lung malignancy treatment == Malignancy is a major public health problem worldwide [13]. Lung malignancy, one of the most prevalent tumors with the highest mortality rate, originates in the trachea, bronchus and lungs, and its prevalence threatens human health [4,5]. Systemic lung malignancy therapy includes medical procedures, radiation and chemotherapy [6]. Surgery is used to remove some or all of the tumor tissue at the local site [7]. Radiation therapy has also been used to treat local tumors [8]. However, these methods are ineffective in treating metastatic cancer, and the tumor cells cannot be completely removed. Many patients experience relapse after a short time following these treatments. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment for lung malignancy and provides certain benefits to patients [9]. However, chemotherapy lacks selectivity and can inhibit tumor cell growth and kill large numbers of normal cells, resulting in destruction of the immune system, many side effects and the quick development of drug resistance [10,11]. Chemotherapeutic drugs usually have a low therapeutic index and severe side effects, even after long-term development. Compared with traditional cytotoxic drugs, targeted therapy has higher efficacy and greater tolerability [12]. Lung malignancy treatment has joined the era of precision targeted therapy. Common molecular targeted therapy, represented by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), has completely changed the treatment options for NSCLC [13]. Targeted therapy, represented by selective EGFR-TKIs, has great importance because it not only effectively inhibits tumor growth but also has fewer side effects than chemotherapy [1416]. Although standard-of-care drugs, e.g., EGFR-TKIs, accomplish a relatively high initial response in lung malignancy, resistance inevitably develops after 912 months of treatment [1723]. Immunotherapy, a novel treatment method that utilizes the human immune system c-Kit-IN-2 to inhibit malignancy cell growth, has received much attention in recent years. Immunotherapy does not directly interact with malignancy cells but activates the immune system to eliminate tumors, thereby effectively treating lung malignancy [2429]. However, immunotherapy may very easily cause side effects such as autoimmune disorders. Due to the instability c-Kit-IN-2 of the tumor cell genome, the effectiveness of immunotherapy may vary from person to person. Therefore, developing drugs that combine the advantages of strong targeting and high toxin activity, which can simultaneously reduce harmful side effects and improve antitumor effects, has become a promising strategy for the treatment of lung c-Kit-IN-2 cancer. Drug conjugates exhibit the above characteristics because they consist of cytotoxic drugs bound to targeted ligands via linkers, enabling targeted delivery of the drug to tumor sites. ADCs are the best-known Rabbit polyclonal to ZC4H2 drug conjugates and typically consist of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) bound to a payload via a linker. This construction combines the specificity of antibodies with the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, potentially reducing the severity of adverse reactions by preferentially targeting the payload to the tumor site [30]. For example, when ADCs enter the bloodstream, the antibody component can recognize the target.