A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of action of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in lung cancer, utilizing patient-derived organoid (PDO)-immune co-cultures. Focusing on HER2-positive and TROP2-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases, ADC candidates were screened for in vitro activity based on organoid-immune interaction models.
Key assessments included:
Tumor killing efficiency, assessed by dose-response relationships; Drug internalization (cellular uptake), as a measure of penetration into cancer cells; Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and bystander effect, with negative control targets employed to delineate specificity; Single-cell RNA sequencing, to profile transcriptional alterations at single-cell resolution.
Data demonstrated distinct ADC responses correlating with target expression and immune microenvironment features. The integrated approach provided cell-based evidence of ADC potency and revealed mechanistic insights-including immune-mediated cytotoxicity pathways and intracellular trafficking-supporting the rational design of clinical trials. These findings established a foundation for precision immunotherapy strategies and offered a mechanistic rationale for patient selection in HER2/TROP2-positive lung cancer.