# DNA alkylator payloads

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/dna-alkylator-payloads/  
OnCo record `dna-alkylator-payloads` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

DNA alkylator payloads chemically damage DNA regardless of whether the cell is dividing, and are aimed at slow-growing and resistant tumours.

## Summary

DNA alkylator payloads, chiefly the duocarmycins and seco-DUBA, chemically damage DNA whether or not the cell is dividing, and they are aimed at slow-growing and resistant tumours. In preclinical models duocarmycin-type alkylators act independently of the cell cycle and are not cross-resistant with tubulin or topoisomerase payloads, which is the attraction. Clinical translation has nonetheless been slow: trastuzumab duocarmazine reached phase 3 but was not approved. The class belongs to the Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology and the Payload (ADC) term, and it is referenced by the specific payload record Duocarmycin (seco-DUBA) and by the pathway on base excision repair, PARP and alkylation damage, which describes how cells respond to this kind of lesion.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: duocarmycins; seco-DUBA

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duocarmycin
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duocarmycin

## Connected records

- terms: [Duocarmycin (seco-DUBA)](https://onco.cc/terms/duocarmycin/), [Payload (ADC)](https://onco.cc/terms/payload/)
- technologies: [Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/adc/)
- pathways: [Base excision repair, PARP & alkylation damage](https://onco.cc/pathways/base-excision-repair-parp/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/dna-alkylator-payloads.json