Antibody technology and engineering

A whole new world of exciting opportunities

Single-domain antibodies of camelids

Particular antibodies discovered in camels by Hamers and Muyldermans (Belgium, 1989).

  • Guanaco
  • Llama
  • Vicuna
  • Alpaca

Functional despite absence of the light chain.

Recombinant single-domain antibodies (VHH)

Biotechnological advantages of (VHH) antibodies

  • Small size.
  • Ease of genetic engineering.
  • Feasible to retain the VHH repertoire of B cells when generating the library.
  • High production yields in prokaryotes.
  • Inexhaustible and interchangeable reagents.
  • Recognition of non-canonical epitopes.
  • High affinity (nM – pM).
  • High selectivity.
  • Exceptional physicochemical stability.
  • High solubility.
  • In silico transfer.
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VHH advantages for use in treatment and diagnosis

  • Ease and speed of production of biosimilars.
  • High tissue penetration.
  • Quick biodistribution.
  • Low immunogenicity.
  • Simple conjugation to drugs and other molecules.
  • High antigen selectivity and affinity.
  • Highly compatible with biological matrices, enabling diverse routes of administration.
  • Allows the generation of multifunctional chimeras.
  • Recognition of sites that are unavailable to conventional monoclonal antibodies.
  • Low production costs.

VHH advantages for in vitro diagnostics

High coating performance
High sensitivity and selectivity
Robust in complex matrices
Simple conjugation and generation of chimeras
Development of multi-valent or multi-specific reagents
Low production cost