# Maleimidocaproyl (mc), non-cleavable

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

## TL;DR

The non-cleavable maleimidocaproyl (mc) linker is a tether with no cleavage site: the payload is released only when the antibody is fully digested.

## Summary

The non-cleavable maleimidocaproyl (mc) linker is a plain tether with no cleavage site, so its payload is released only when the antibody is fully digested. Such linkers rely on lysosomal proteolysis of the antibody and release a cysteine-linker-payload adduct rather than the free drug. Paired with MMAF in the form known as mafodotin, or mc-MMAF, the released species is charged and stays in the cell, trading the bystander effect for stability and a different toxicity profile. The linker belongs to the Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology and the Linker (ADC) term, is matched with the payload MMAF, and is referenced by the drug record for Belantamab mafodotin.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: mc-MMAF

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trastuzumab_emtansine
- mcMMAF non-cleavable linker (Doronina et al., Bioconjugate Chem 2006): https://doi.org/10.1021/bc0502917

## Connected records

- terms: [Linker (ADC)](https://onco.cc/terms/linker/), [MMAF](https://onco.cc/terms/mmaf/)
- technologies: [Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/adc/)
- drugs: [Belantamab mafodotin](https://onco.cc/drugs/belantamab-mafodotin/)
- key papers: [Enhanced activity of monomethylauristatin F through monoclonal antibody delivery: effects of linker technology on efficacy and toxicity](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-doronina-bioconjug-chem/)

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