Nanobodies as Tools to Study and Modulate Immunity and Inflammation

Dear Colleagues,

In 1993, Raymond Hamers’ group published the discovery of a new type of immunoglobulin, which consists only of two heavy-chains, in the serum of camels. These antibodies were termed “heavy-chain-only antibodies” or HcAbs and are present in all old-world and new-world camelids, accounting for 30 to 75% of the circulating immunoglobulins. The discovery of these unique antibodies set the base for the generation of nanobodies, the antigen-binding domains of HcAbs (termed VHH, variable domain of the heavy chain of heavy-chain-only antibodies) recombinantly expressed as single domain antibodies. Nanobodies against virtually any druggable target can be generated by using the phage display or any other desired display technologies in order to identify target-specific binders and to reveal their corresponding DNA sequence. The latter can be used to design vectors for the in vitro production of the identified nanobodies, either as monomers, dimers, heterotrimers, or any other desired format. In comparison to conventional antibodies, nanobodies exhibit some unique features: they represent the smallest naturally occurring antigen binding domains, exhibit high temperature and pH stability due to a single rigid immunoglobulin domain, and show, due to their elongated CDR3 region, the ability to bind molecular clefts and hidden epitopes.

This unique set of features enables new ways of studying the immune system. Their small size facilitates superior tissue penetration and allows high-resolution microscopy; their stability and rigidity makes them suitable as chaperons in structural biology; and, their propensity to bind molecular clefts enables functional modulation of target enzymes or receptors. Consistently, in the past decade, many nanobodies have been developed that target proteins on, or even in immune cells. By this, one can modulate immunological function of target proteins, study their subcellular localization, determine their three-dimensional structure, or guide them in therapeutic or diagnostic applications.

This Special Issue aims to provide a current overview of the application of nanobodies in the field of immunity and inflammation. We welcome reviews and original research manuscripts that focus on the application of nanobodies as therapeutic or scientific tools in innate or adaptive immunity in vitro and in vivo.

Dr. Stephan Menzel
Dr. Thomas Eden
Dr. Björn Rissiek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibodies is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Nanobodies
• Single domain antibodies
• VHH
• Immunomodulation
• Nanobody-based imaging