Properties, Production, and Applications of Camelid Single-domain Antibody Fragments

Overview

Journal Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
Microbiology

Date 2007 Aug 21

PMID 17704915

Citations 289

Authors

M M Harmsen

H J De Haard

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Camelids 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 (VHHs or Nanobodies) have several advantages for biotechnological applications. They are well expressed in microorganisms and have a high stability and solubility. Furthermore, they are well suited for construction of larger molecules and selection systems such as phage, yeast, or ribosome display. This minireview offers an overview of (1) their properties as compared to conventional antibodies, (2) their production in microorganisms, with a focus on yeasts, and (3) their therapeutic applications.

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