Breaking therapeutic barriers in solid tumors: Clinical progress of antibody‑drug conjugate/immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations (Review).

Abstract

Cancer has become one of the leading causes of death in most countries. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapeutics by harnessing antitumor immunity, their clinical application is constrained by intrinsic resistance in most patients and limited responsiveness across specific tumor types. Rational combination strategies may enhance therapeutic outcomes. Antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs) are an optimal therapeutic partner for synergistic combination with ICIs. ADCs enhance ICI efficacy by inducing immunogenic cell death, which activates tumor‑specific immune responses, remodeling the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and amplifying ICI‑mediated immune cell activation. ADC‑ICI combinations have encouraging antitumor activity across multiple types of solid malignancies. The present review systematically evaluates the synergistic potential of ADC and ICI combination in solid tumor management.