Hosseininejad-Chafi Mohammad, Eftekhari Zohre, Oghalaie Akbar, Behdani Mahdi, Sotoudeh Nazli, Kazemi-Lomedasht Fatemeh
Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory, Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.
Med Oncol. 2024 Dec 24;42(1):36. doi: 10.1007/s12032-024-02588-y.
The immune system relies on a delicate balance between attacking harmful pathogens and preserving the body's own tissues, a balance maintained by immune checkpoints. These checkpoints play a critical role in preventing autoimmune diseases by restraining excessive immune responses while allowing the immune system to recognize and destroy abnormal cells, such as tumors. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become central to cancer therapy, enabling the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells that evade detection. Traditional antibodies, such as IgGs, have been widely used in immune therapies but are limited by their size and complexity. Nanobodies (Nbs), derived from camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies, offer a promising alternative. These small, stable antibody fragments retain the antigen-binding specificity of traditional antibodies but have enhanced solubility and the ability to target otherwise inaccessible epitopes. This review explores the use of Nbs as ICIs, emphasizing their potential in cancer immunotherapy and other immune-related treatments. Their unique structural properties and small size make Nbs highly effective tools for modulating immune responses, representing a novel approach in the evolving landscape of checkpoint inhibitor therapies.
免疫系统依赖于攻击有害病原体与保护机体自身组织之间的微妙平衡，这种平衡由免疫检查点维持。这些检查点通过抑制过度免疫反应，同时允许免疫系统识别并摧毁异常细胞（如肿瘤细胞），在预防自身免疫性疾病方面发挥着关键作用。近年来，免疫检查点抑制剂（ICIs）已成为癌症治疗的核心，使免疫系统能够靶向并消除逃避检测的癌细胞。传统抗体，如免疫球蛋白G（IgGs），已广泛应用于免疫治疗，但受其大小和复杂性的限制。源自骆驼科动物仅重链抗体的纳米抗体（Nbs）提供了一种有前景的替代方案。这些小而稳定的抗体片段保留了传统抗体的抗原结合特异性，但具有增强的溶解性以及靶向其他难以接近的表位的能力。本综述探讨了纳米抗体作为免疫检查点抑制剂的应用，强调了它们在癌症免疫治疗和其他免疫相关治疗中的潜力。它们独特的结构特性和小尺寸使纳米抗体成为调节免疫反应的高效工具，代表了不断发展的检查点抑制剂治疗领域中的一种新方法。
