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NANOBODIES®: A Review of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications
Open accessAbstract
NANOBODY® (a registered trademark of Ablynx N.V) molecules (Nbs), also referred to as single domain-based VHHs, are antibody fragments derived from heavy-chain only IgG antibodies found in the Camelidae family. Due to their small size, simple structure, high antigen binding affinity, and remarkable stability in extreme conditions, Nbs possess the potential to overcome several of the limitations of conventional monoclonal antibodies. For many years, Nbs have been of great interest in a wide variety of research fields, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This has culminated with the approval of the world’s first Nb based drug (Caplacizumab) in 2018 with others following, and more on the way. This review will provide an overview, with examples, of (i) the structure and advantages of Nbs compared to conventional monoclonal antibodies, (ii) methods used to generate and produce antigen-specific Nbs, (iii) applications for diagnostics, and (iv) ongoing clinical trials for Nb therapeutics as well as promising candidates for clinical development.
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Cites
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Cited by
Atomically accurate de novo design of antibodies with RFdiffusion
Bennett, N. R., Watson, J. L., Ragotte, R. J., Borst, A. J., See, D. L., Weidle, C., Biswas, R., Yu, Y., Shrock, E. L., Ault, R., et al. (2024) · doi:10.1101/2024.03.14.585103 · Cited by 324
Atomically accurate de novo design of antibodies with RFdiffusion
(2025) · doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09721-5 · Cited by 324
Current GMP standards for the large‐scale production of monoclonal antibodies
Troncoso‐Bravo, T., Pavez, V., Letelier, P., Del Río, J., Anabalón, C., Peñaloza, H. F., González, P. A., Bueno, S. M., & Kalergis, A. M. (2026) · Bioengineering & Translational Medicine · doi:10.1002/btm2.70121 · Cited by 2
Metadata
- Authors
- Jin, B.-K., Odongo, S., Radwanska, M., & Magez, S.
- Venue
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2023-03-22
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 5994
- ISSN
- 1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4353090737
- Cited by
- 371
- References
- 146
- FWCI
- 54.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- Funders
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.1 Program COMBAT grant
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