camel antibody

In particular, single domain antibodies combine the benefits of conventional antibodies with important features of small molecule drugs. They are able to bind to hidden epitopes that are not accessible to whole antibodies. In addition, in comparison with small molecule drugs that target enzyme active sites and receptor clefts, single domain antibodies have the potential of greater affinity and selectivity, thus promising lower side effect and better efficacy. Furthermore, because of their small size (they are only 1/10 the size of a whole antibody), single domain antibodies can penetrate tissues faster than other antibodies and even break through the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which turns them into excellent candidates for central nervous system disease therapies. Single domain antibodies have higher stability during the changes of temperature and chemical environments and great potential for gastrointestinal stability and oral availability. Also, thanks to its simple nature of a single-chain peptide, single domain antibodies have exceptional drug format flexibility and allow efficient drug discovery and development.