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Nanobodies targeting immune checkpoint molecules for tumor immunotherapy and immunoimaging (Review)
Sheng Yu1, Gui Xiong1, Shimei Zhao1
1Department of Medicine, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 545005, P.R. China.
Abstract:
The immune checkpoint blockade is an effective strategy to enhance the anti‑tumor T cell effector activity, thus becoming one of the most promising immunotherapeutic strategies in the history of cancer treatment. Several immune checkpoint inhibitor have been approved by the FDA, such as anti‑CTLA‑4, anti‑PD‑1, anti‑PD‑L1 monoclonal antibodies. Most tumor patients benefitted from these antibodies, but some of the patients did not respond to them. To increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade therapies, miniaturization of antibodies has been introduced. A single‑domain antibody, also known as nanobody, is an attractive reagent for immunotherapy and immunoimaging thanks to its unique structural characteristic consisting of a variable region of a single heavy chain antibody. This structure confers to the nanobody a light molecular weight, making it smaller than conventional antibodies, although remaining able to bind to a specific antigen. Therefore, this review summarizes the production of nanobodies targeting immune checkpoint molecules and the application of nanobodies targeting immune checkpoint molecules in immunotherapy and immunoimaging.
Insights
Nanobodies, small antibody fragments, offer a promising approach to enhance cancer immunotherapy and imaging. This review explores their production and application against immune checkpoint molecules.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Immune checkpoint blockade is a key cancer immunotherapy, enhancing anti-tumor T cell activity.
- Approved inhibitors like anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, and anti-PD-L1 benefit many cancer patients, but response rates vary.
- Limitations in current therapies necessitate novel approaches for improved efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the production of nanobodies targeting immune checkpoint molecules.
- To summarize the applications of these nanobodies in cancer immunotherapy.
- To highlight the potential of nanobodies in cancer immunoimaging.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on nanobody production and characterization.
- Analysis of studies investigating nanobodies against immune checkpoint targets (e.g., CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1).
- Exploration of nanobody applications in preclinical and clinical cancer models.
Main Results:
- Nanobodies, derived from single heavy chain variable domains, offer advantages in size and stability.
- Production methods for nanobodies targeting immune checkpoints have been established.
- Nanobodies show potential in enhancing immunotherapy and enabling precise immunoimaging.
Conclusions:
- Nanobodies represent a versatile platform for developing next-generation cancer immunotherapies.
- Their unique properties facilitate improved targeting and delivery of therapeutic payloads.
- Further research into nanobody applications could overcome limitations of current immunotherapies.
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