The present invention provides cleavable conjugates whose linkers contain a labile bond that is cleavable under a variety of mild conditions, including weakly acidic. Since the agent may be bonded directly to the linker, cleavage can result in release of native agent. The invention also provides methods for producing cleavable conjugates. Preferred agents include drugs, toxins, biological response modifiers, radiodiagnostic compounds, radiotherapeutic compounds, and derivatives thereof. The targeting molecule employed in the invention may be an intact molecule, a fragment thereof, or a functional equivalent thereof. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the targeting molecule is a monoclonal antibody directed towards a tumor-associated antigen in man. The invention further provides methods for delivering to the cytoplasm of target cell an agent free of its targeting molecular carrier. A diagnostically therapeutically effective dose of a cleavable conjugate is administered to a warm-blooded animal such as man. Another aspect of the invention provides methods for isolating a compound. The compound binds covalently to a solid phase which has been derivatized with the linkers described above and is released in native form by a variety of mild conditions. An additional aspect of the invention provides methods for introducing into a compound a free sulfhydryl, amino, or hydroxyl group by use of reagents structurally related to the linkers described above. Preferred uses of the method are to add a free amino or a free sulfhydryl group to a protein, such as an antibody, or a drug.
本发明提供了可裂解的结合物,其连接剂包含一种在多种温和条件下可裂解的不稳定键,包括弱酸性条件。由于药物可以直接与连接剂结合,因此裂解可以导致原有药物的释放。本发明还提供了制备可裂解结合物的方法。首选药物包括药品、毒素、
生物反应修饰剂、放射性诊断化合物、放射性治疗化合物及其衍
生物。本发明所采用的靶向分子可以是完整分子、其片段或其功能等效物。在一个特别优选的实施例中,靶向分子是针对人类肿瘤相关抗原的单克隆
抗体。本发明还提供了将不带有其靶向分子载体的药物递送到靶细胞的细胞质中的方法。将可裂解结合物的诊断治疗有效剂量给予温血动物,例如人。本发明的另一个方面提供了分离化合物的方法。该化合物与已用上述连接剂衍生化的固相共价结合,并可通过多种温和条件以原有形式释放。本发明的另一个方面提供了使用与上述连接剂结构相关的试剂将自由巯基、
氨基或羟基引入化合物的方法。所述方法的首选用途是向蛋白质(如
抗体或药物)添加自由
氨基或自由巯基基团。