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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Development of New Therapeutic Applications Using Microfluidics
Published on: October 1, 2007
Nanobody: outstanding features for diagnostic and therapeutic applications
J-Pablo Salvador1,2, Lluïsa Vilaplana3,4, M-Pilar Marco3,4
1Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics Group (Nb4D), Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Nanotechnology, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC) of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain. jpablo.salvador@iqac.csic.es.
Abstract:
Nanobodies (Nbs) have arisen as an alternative to conventional antibodies (Abs) and show great potential when used as tools in different biotechnology fields such as diagnostics and therapy. Different approaches have been described for the production of Nbs and these methods face new challenges focused on improving yield, affinity, and reducing production costs. This review summarizes these challenges, and also the latest advances in the detection of different kinds of molecules, such as proteins and small molecules, and describes their potential use for noninvasive in vivo imaging and for in vitro assays. Moreover, the unique properties of Nbs are outlined like internalization, size, thermal and chemical stability, affinity, blood clearance, and labeling procedures. Concerning therapeutic applications, we highlight some already reported examples about Nbs being used for the treatment of several diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative or infectious diseases among others. Finally, future trends, opportunities, and disadvantages are also discussed.
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