The Next Class of Blockbuster Drugs?

The power of antibodies is well established. but their cost is often prohibitive in a world of already stretched health budgets.

The solution to this conundrum may have appeared. Mini or nano-antibodies from llama, camels, shark and other animals have been the subjected of much research for some years.

These animals, including the camelid family,  produce functional antibodies devoid of light chains of which the single N-terminal domain is fully capable of antigen binding. These single-domain antibody fragments (Nanobodies) have several advantages for biotechnological applications. They are well expressed in microorganisms and have a high stability and solubility. They might be administered orally, solving another of the great problems with ordinary antibodies which require regular injection.

 

These nano-antibodies look particular interesting for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory conditions and blood disorders. Clinical trials of several compounds are already underway.