"Researchers
have discovered that camels, llamas, sharks, and a few other animals
produce unusually small antibodies. Discovered by accident, these
molecules appear to have an important role in the animals' defense
against pathogens, although exactly how they provide protection isn't
clear. Because they are durable, easy to make, and versatile, the
molecules, and even smaller fragments of them that are often called
antibodies, are proving themselves as research tools. Scientists have
used them to stabilize proteins during crystallography studies, to
manipulate proteins inside cells, and to perform other tasks that
conventional antibodies aren't suited for. Small antibodies and
nanobodies are also being studied as potential treatments for diseases
such as cancer, as imaging agents, and for diagnostic testing. The first
nanobody-based drug, which targets a clotting disorder, could be
approved this year."
Science 11 May 2018:
Vol. 360, Issue 6389, pp. 594-597
DOI: 10.1126/science.360.6389.594
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