In this blog, ProSci will take you through the advantages of single domain antibodies—also known as Nanobodies™, VHH antibodies, and camelid antibodies—and the process ProSci uses to develop high-performing antibodies.

Single Domain Antibodies (sdAbs) from the camelid family are exciting tools for researchers. These antibodies are isolated from camelid heavy chain-only antibodies (IgG2 and IgG3) and are comprised of only the variable domain.

As such, they lack light chains, are smaller and more stable compared to conventional antibodies, yet possess fully functional antigen-binding capability. They are highly valuable in fundamental research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications.

Antivenom Broad Spectrum Antitoxin Antibody

Antivenom is an antibody product that neutralizes particular venom toxins. The venom contains a complex mixture of hundreds of substances. Typically, an animal, such as a horse or goat, is injected with a small amount of venom. The antibodies released by the animal’s immune system are harvested through blood collection. The blood serum or plasma is then concentrated and purified into pharmaceutical-grade antivenom. Such antivenin can cause a series of severe side effects due to the heterogeneity and high degree of immunogenicity.

The challenge was to improve the efficiency of anti-venom production and as generating therapeutic horse sera is labor-intensive and produces inconsistent anti-venom with poor thermal stability, the antibody developed needed to be consistent in production methods, thermally stable, and broad enough to target clinically-relevant toxins but specific enough to prevent side effects.

The Single-Domain Antibody “Process”

ProSci’s solution to improve the efficiency of anti-venom production was to develop a recombinant single-domain antibody. Recombinant single-domain antibodies reduce the inconsistencies of relying on horse sera as, once developed; the antibodies are reproducible within the lab.

To develop these antibodies, we optimized immunization protocols and used phage display technology to create a library of recombinant antibodies that bind to a broad spectrum of anti-venom toxins.

How Single-Domain Antibodies Can Help

Single-domain antibodies aim to be the cutting edge tool for antibody research in HIV, cancer, and other cellular diseases. As mentioned above, sdAbs lack light chains and are smaller and more stable than conventional antibodies, yet they possess fully functional antigen-binding capacity.

Features and Benefits of Single Domain Antibodies

Here are ways single domain antibodies can help excel your research:

• Smallest functional antibody unit at ~15kDa; conventional antibody is ~150kDa
• Enhanced tissue penetration, can (the ability to cross the BBB is really not true. I would hate to continue to propagate this impression)
• Unique binding capacity to small cavities or clefts
• High affinity and specificity
• Unique physical properties can lead to increased stability under extreme temperature and pH, as well as increased solubility.
• Small size makes them attractive targets for applications such as in-vivo imaging
• Cost-effective, large-scale production

Due to its size (a mere 15 kDa) and longer CDR3 region, a sdAb is adept at reaching otherwise inaccessible epitopes that may play a vital role in the molecular mechanisms of disease.

For more information on the advantages of sdAbs and how they differ from conventional antibodies, check out our blog on Single-Domain Antibodies.

Single-Domain Antibodies from ProSci

ProSci’s recombinant antibody development for single domain antibodies provides a wide variety of custom configurations to accommodate your needs. Using phage display technology and multiple checkpoints throughout development ensures customer satisfaction and quality in developing single-domain antibodies.

ProSci wants to encourage you to learn more about single domain antibodies by checking out our informative video and infographic. These resources provide detailed information about the structure and function of single domain antibodies, as well as their potential applications in various fields. The video and infographic are designed to be easy to understand and provide a comprehensive overview of this cutting-edge technology. So, take a look and discover how single domain antibodies are changing the way we approach disease treatment and diagnosis.

Hear from two experts in the field of single domain antibody development and production, Andy Lee, Lead Scientist of the Single Domain Antibody Program at ProSci Incorporated, and David Eling, Director of Business Development at ProSci Incorporated, on how these unique antibodies are produced and how they are advancing discoveries in research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. Listen to the podcast here.

If your clinical application calls for single-domain antibodies (VHH antibodies), purchase ProSci single-domain antibodies with confidence!