method of eliminating heterogeneous or mixed cell population in tumors as well as maytansinoid compounds

摘要

METHOD OF ELIMINATING POPULATION OF HETEROGENEOUS OR MIXED CELLS IN TUMORS, AS MAYTANSINOID COMPOUNDS. The present invention relates to methods of tumor killing or inhibition comprising heterogeneous or mixed cell populations. Extermination or inhibition of tumors is achieved by selectively targeting a specific ligand suspected to be expressed in a given cell population and also to exterminating a population of cells lacking such a specific ligand. These conjugates have therapeutic use as they are released to a specific cell population to exterminate these cells and the cytotoxic drug is released to exterminate untargeted cells, thereby eliminating the tumor.