A New Approach to the Chemical Modification of Antibodies via Maleimide Bridging of Disulfides

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We are entering extremely exciting times in the development of the next generation of therapeutics, as scientists have turned their attention to the manipulation of part of nature's own defense mechanism; antibodies. Antibodies can now be designed in the lab to target a variety of diseases, including cancer and infectious diseases. They represent the fastest growing class of therapeutics, with a market value estimated to be around $50 billion. Currently however, a limiting factor in the area is the lack of reliable chemical methods that will allow the modification and optimisation of the properties of antibodies. We are proposing here to exemplify a new class of chemical reagents that will allow the highly effective modification of antibodies for the first time. This exemplification will enable us to establish partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to facilitate the optimisation of future antibody-based therapeutics.