The development of single-domain VHH nanobodies that target the cell surface.

causes life-threatening invasive infections that are hard to diagnose and treat, with drug resistance leading to treatment failure. The goal of this study was to develop VHH (single variable domain on a heavy chain) nanobodies to detect drug-resistant infections. Llamas were immunized with a mixture of heat killed and fixed cells of different morphologies.

VHH-Photosensitizer Conjugates for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Met-Overexpressing Tumor Cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approach that kills (cancer) cells by the local production of toxic reactive oxygen species upon the local illumination of a photosensitizer (PS). The specificity of PDT has been further enhanced by the development of a new water-soluble PS and by the specific delivery of PS via conjugation to tumor-targeting antibodies. To improve tissue penetration and shorten photosensitivity, we have recently introduced nanobodies, also known as VHH (variable domains from the heavy chain of llama heavy chain antibodies), for targeted PDT of cancer cells overexpressing the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

Structural basis for a PABPN1 aggregation-preventing antibody fragment in OPMD.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy is caused by small alanine expansions in polyadenylate binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1) protein resulting in its intranuclear accumulation in skeletal muscle. 3F5 llama antibody specifically interferes with the PABPN1 aggregation process in vitro and in vivo. To understand the structural basis for its epitope recognition we mapped the binding interface of 3F5 with PABPN1 and provide a structural model of the 3F5-PABPN1 complex.