Potential Applications
Orally available single-domain antibodies against E. coli-induced diarrhoea in piglets have been developed and successfully tested. Other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, are also possible targets for orally available sdAbs.
Detergent stable species targeting a surface protein of Malassezia furfur have been engineered for the use in anti-dandruff shampoos.
ALX-0081, a single-domain antibody targeting von Willebrand factor is in clinical trials for the prevention of thrombosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome. A Phase II study examining ALX-0081 in high risk percutaneous coronary intervention has started in September 2009.
Ablynx expects that their Nanobodies might cross the blood–brain barrier and permeate into large solid tumours more easily than whole antibodies, which would allow for the development of drugs against brain cancers.
Read more about this topic: Single-domain Antibody
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