NANOBODY® Molecule, a Giga Medical Tool in Nanodimensions

Single-Domain Antibodies as Antibody-Drug Conjugates: From Promise to Practice-A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent potent cancer therapies that deliver highly toxic drugs to tumor cells precisely, thus allowing for targeted treatment and significantly reducing off-target effects. Despite their effectiveness, ADCs can face limitations due to acquired resistance and potential side effects.

OBJECTIVES

This study focuses on advances in various ADC components to improve both the efficacy and safety of these agents, and includes the analysis of several novel ADC formats. This work assesses whether the unique features of VHHs-such as their small size, enhanced tissue penetration, stability, and cost-effectiveness-make them a viable alternative to conventional antibodies for ADCs and reviews their current status in ADC development.

METHODS

Following PRISMA guidelines, this study focused on VHHs as components of ADCs, examining advancements and prospects from 1 January 2014 to 30 June 2024. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and LILACS using specific terms related to ADCs and single-domain antibodies. Retrieved articles were rigorously evaluated, excluding duplicates and non-qualifying studies. The selected peer-reviewed articles were analyzed for quality and synthesized to highlight advancements, methods, payloads, and future directions in ADC research.

RESULTS

VHHs offer significant advantages for drug conjugation over conventional antibodies due to their smaller size and structure, which enhance tissue penetration and enable access to previously inaccessible epitopes. Their superior stability, solubility, and manufacturability facilitate cost-effective production and expand the range of targetable antigens. Additionally, some VHHs can naturally cross the blood-brain barrier or be easily modified to favor their penetration, making them promising for targeting brain tumors and metastases. Although no VHH-drug conjugates (nADC or nanoADC) are currently in the clinical arena, preclinical studies have explored various conjugation methods and linkers.

CONCLUSIONS

While ADCs are transforming cancer treatment, their unique mechanisms and associated toxicities challenge traditional views on bioavailability and vary with different tumor types. Severe toxicities, often linked to compound instability, off-target effects, and nonspecific blood cell interactions, highlight the need for better understanding. Conversely, the rapid distribution, tumor penetration, and clearance of VHHs could be advantageous, potentially reducing toxicity by minimizing prolonged exposure. These attributes make single-domain antibodies strong candidates for the next generation of ADCs, potentially enhancing both efficacy and safety.

Material-specific binding peptides empower sustainable innovations in plant health, biocatalysis, medicine and microplastic quantification

Material-binding peptides (MBPs) have emerged as a diverse and innovation-enabling class of peptides in applications such as plant-/human health, immobilization of catalysts, bioactive coatings, accelerated polymer degradation and analytics for micro-/nanoplastics quantification. Progress has been fuelled by recent advancements in protein engineering methodologies and advances in computational and analytical methodologies, which allow the design of, for instance, material-specific MBPs with fine-tuned binding strength for numerous demands in material science applications. A genetic or chemical conjugation of second (biological, chemical or physical property-changing) functionality to MBPs empowers the design of advanced (hybrid) materials, bioactive coatings and analytical tools. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview comprising naturally occurring MBPs and their function in nature, binding properties of short man-made MBPs (<20 amino acids) mainly obtained from phage-display libraries, and medium-sized binding peptides (20-100 amino acids) that have been reported to bind to metals, polymers or other industrially produced materials. The goal of this review is to provide an in-depth understanding of molecular interactions between materials and material-specific binding peptides, and thereby empower the use of MBPs in material science applications. Protein engineering methodologies and selected examples to tailor MBPs toward applications in agriculture with a focus on plant health, biocatalysis, medicine and environmental monitoring serve as examples of the transformative power of MBPs for various industrial applications. An emphasis will be given to MBPs' role in detecting and quantifying microplastics in high throughput, distinguishing microplastics from other environmental particles, and thereby assisting to close an analytical gap in food safety and monitoring of environmental plastic pollution. In essence, this review aims to provide an overview among researchers from diverse disciplines in respect to material-(specific) binding of MBPs, protein engineering methodologies to tailor their properties to application demands, re-engineering for material science applications using MBPs, and thereby inspire researchers to employ MBPs in their research.

Characterization of plant produced VHH antibodies against cobra venom toxins for antivenom therapy

Cobra (Naja kaouthia) venom contains many toxins including α-neurotoxin (αNTX) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which can cause neurodegeneration, respiratory failure, and even death. The traditional antivenom derived from animal serum faces many challenges and limitations. Heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAb), fusing VHH with human IgG Fc region, offer advantages in tissue penetration, antigen binding, and extended half-life. This research involved the construction and transient expression of two types of VHH-FC which are specific to α-Neurotoxin (VHH-αNTX-FC) and Phospholipase A2 (VHH-PLA2-FC) in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The recombinant HCAbs were incubated for up to six days to optimize expression levels followed by purification by affinity chromatography and characterization using LC/Q-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). Purified proteins demonstrated over 92 % sequence coverage and an average mass of around 82 kDa with a high-mannose N-glycan profile. An antigen binding assay showed that the VHH-αNTX-Fc has a greater ability to bind to crude venom than VHH-PLA2-Fc.

Investigational thymic stromal lymphopoietin inhibitors for the treatment of asthma: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Severe asthma patients often remain uncontrolled despite high-intensity therapies. Biological therapies targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a key player in asthma pathogenesis, have emerged as potential options. Currently, the only TSLP inhibitor approved for the treatment of severe asthma is the immunoglobulin G (IgG) 2λ anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody (mAb) tezepelumab.

AREAS COVERED

This systematic review assesses the efficacy and safety of investigational TSLP inhibitors across different stages of development for asthma treatment.

EXPERT OPINION

TSLP contributes to airway inflammation, making it a pivotal therapeutic target. Ecleralimab, an inhaled antibody fragment antigen binding, shows promising evidence in enhancing efficacy and reducing systemic adverse events. SAR443765, with its NANOBODY® formulation and bispecific inhibition of TSLP and IL-13, offers improved tissue penetration and efficacy. The mAB TQC2731 exhibits high in vitro bioactivity, and the strength of the mAb UPB-101 is to act against the TSLP receptor. Some studies include mild and moderate asthma patients, suggesting the potential for extending biological therapy to non-severe patients. This systematic review highlights the potential of TSLP inhibitors as valuable additions to asthma treatment, even in milder forms of the disease. Future research and cost-reduction efforts are needed to expanding access to these promising therapies.