On May 21, 2026, a research team led by Professor Zhuowei Liu, Dr. Zikun Ma, and Associate Research Fellow Xiaoyu Liang from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center published a study in Cancer Cell entitled “Endocytic Escape Drives Tumor Resistance to Antibody–Drug Conjugate Therapy.” The study systematically characterized the adaptive remodeling processes underlying resistance to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) using humanized mouse models, single-cell sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics.

For many years, platinum-based chemotherapy has remained the standard first-line treatment for urothelial carcinoma, yet outcomes have remained suboptimal. As targeted therapies and immunotherapy continue to advance rapidly, there is growing demand for more effective precision treatment strategies.

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) accounts for a substantially higher proportion of urothelial carcinoma cases in China than in Western populations. Although radical nephroureterectomy remains the standard treatment for UTUC, many patients become ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy after surgery because of impaired renal function and other comorbidities. Furthermore, subgroup analyses from three major adjuvant immunotherapy trials have failed to demonstrate a significant disease-free survival (DFS) benefit in patients with UTUC, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies.

For nearly four decades, platinum-based chemotherapy has remained the standard first-line treatment for urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, its limitations—including modest survival outcomes and significant treatment-related toxicity—have persisted as major clinical challenges.