Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) have become versatile tools in biomedical research and therapy. These antibody fragments have unique properties that make them ideal for a variety of applications. Our company utilizes GeniusAb™ mice to generate sdAbs that exhibit exceptional affinity and specificity. With these antibodies, our scientists can further develop diagnostic reagents and therapeutic drugs, thereby promoting the innovative application of sdAb in the biopharmaceutical field.
Diagnosis Development
Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) have a small molecular weight and can enter tissues more quickly, shortening the detection time. At the same time, their half-life is only 1-2 hours and they will not stay in tissues for a long time. These advantages make sdAbs show good potential in diagnosis development.
Immunoassay Development
With their high affinity, specificity, stability, and ease of production, sdAbs are well-suited for utilization as capture or detection agents in immunoassays. Through careful design and screening, sdAbs can be developed into detection reagents for a variety of disease biomarkers. Combined with ELISA, immunohistochemistry (IHC), lateral flow assays and fluorescence-based immunoassay methods, sdAbs can achieve high detection sensitivity and specificity.
Imaging Agent Development
By combining with markers such as radionuclides, fluorescent probes, enzyme tracers, and biotin, sdAbs can be used as good tracers and become an ideal choice for in vitro and in vivo imaging. Especially in the field of cancer diagnosis, sdAbs can be designed as imaging probes, which can be used for precise and non-invasive imaging of tumors and inflammatory sites after being labeled with radionuclides or contrast agents.
Point-of-care Diagnosis Development
sdAbs can be utilized in point-of-care diagnostic devices, enabling rapid and on-site detection of diseases in resource-limited settings. Their stability and ease of production make them suitable for integration into portable devices for early detection and monitoring of diseases. sdAbs can be used for rapid diagnosis of a variety of infectious diseases, including bovine tuberculosis, Salmonella infection, and trypanosomiasis.
Therapeutic Development
Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) have emerged as versatile therapeutic agents in the field of disease therapy. Their unique properties, including high specificity, small size, and stability, make them attractive candidates for targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Table. 1 Therapeutic applications of single domain antibodies
| Single Domain Antibodies | Targets | Disease Examples |
| ALX-0171 | RSV F-protein | RSV lower respiratory tract infection |
| T6T16A12 | Tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) | Tetanus |
| Vobarilizumab | IL-6R | Rheumatoid arthritis |
| M6495 | ADAMTS-5 | Osteoarthritis |
| BI 655088 | CX3CR1 | Chronic renal disease |
| LCAR-B38M | BCMA | Multiple myeloma |
| EGFR-targeted sdAbs | EGFR | Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck |
| PDL1-VHHs | PDL1 | Cancer therapy |
| Everestmab | GLP-1/GLP-1R | Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) |
Targeted Therapy Development
Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) have emerged as powerful tools in therapeutic development, primarily due to their ability to selectively bind and modulate specific disease targets. This targeted approach minimizes off-target effects commonly associated with conventional therapies, resulting in improved treatment outcomes and reduced side effects. Additionally, sdAbs can be engineered to serve as drug carriers, facilitating targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to diseased tissues.
Therapeutic Agent Development
sdAbs can be designed to develop novel therapeutic agents. For example, sdAbs targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can inhibit downstream signaling pathways and hinder tumor growth and survival. This targeted approach can improve therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects on healthy cells.
Drug Delivery Carrier Development
sdAbs can serve as carriers for targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads to specific cells or tissues. They can be conjugated with potent cytotoxic drugs to form antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that specifically deliver drugs to cancer cells expressing the target antigen. This approach enables selective eradication of tumor cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.
Immunotherapy Development
Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) have gained significant attention in the development of immunotherapy due to their unique properties and potential applications.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Development
sdAbs can be engineered to block immune checkpoint molecules, such as PD-1 or CTLA-4, which are expressed on immune cells and inhibit anti-tumor immune responses. By blocking these checkpoints, sdAbs enhance the immune system's ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.
Bispecific Antibody Development
sdAbs can be engineered to simultaneously bind to different targets, enabling the development of bispecific antibodies. These bispecific antibodies can redirect immune cells, such as T cells or natural killer (NK) cells, to specifically engage and eliminate cancer cells.
CAR-T Cell Therapy Development
sdAbs can be incorporated into chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) constructs to enhance the specificity and functionality of CAR-T cells. By replacing traditional antibody fragments with sdAbs, CAR-T cells can be engineered to recognize and attack cancer cells expressing the target antigen.
Other Applications
Furthermore, single domain antibodies (sdAbs) have extensive applications in structural biology research. The specific applications are as follows.
- Protein-protein interaction studies
- Protein-ligand interaction studies
- Protein structure analysis
- Modulating protein structure
- Real-time cell analysis
- And More
GeniusAb™: One-stop Solution from Single Domain Antibody Preparation to Screening
With our fully human single domain antibody platform and antibody screening platform, we provide a one-stop solution from single domain antibody preparation to screening. Our cutting-edge platform enables us to provide comprehensive services for the development of diagnostic reagents and therapeutic drugs, maximizing the application potential of single domain antibodies.
Our antibody screening platform covers phage surface display, yeast surface display, bacterial surface display, mammalian cell surface display, ribosome and mRNA display, and B cell sorting, providing a comprehensive and robust solution for high specificity and affinity antibody screening.
If you are interested in our platforms, please don't hesitate to contact us for further information and pricing details.
References
- Abdolvahab M H, Karimi P, Mohajeri N, et al. Targeted drug delivery using nanobodies to deliver effective molecules to breast cancer cells: the most attractive application of nanobodies[J]. Cancer Cell International, 2024, 24(1): 67.
- Tillib, S. V. "Prospective applications of single-domain antibodies in biomedicine." Molecular Biology 54 (2020): 317-326.