Single-chain antibodies as diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents

Christoph E. Hagemeyer; Constantin von zur Muhlen; Dominik von Elverfeldt; Karlheinz Peter

doi:10.1160/TH08-12-0816

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2009; 101(06): 1012-1019
DOI: 10.1160/TH08-12-0816

Theme Issue Article

Schattauer GmbH

Single-chain antibodies as diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents

Christoph E. Hagemeyer

¹Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

,

Constantin von zur Muhlen

²Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

,

Dominik von Elverfeldt

³Department of Radiology/Medical Physics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

,

Karlheinz Peter

¹Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

Over three decades after the generation of the first mouse monoclonal antibodies by Kohler and Milstein, recombinant antibodies are the fastest growing class of therapeutic proteins. Furthermore, antibodies are key detection reagents in research and diagnostics. Technology improvements have provided several approaches to manufacturing human antibodies with high affinity for biologically relevant targets. Approximately 300 development programs for therapeutic antibodies have been reported in industrial and academic laboratories, and this clearly demonstrates the expectations towards antibody technology. Antibody fragments are a subclass with growing clinical importance. This review focuses on single-chain antibodies as one of the smallest possible format for recombinant antibodies and their use as diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents. We describe the structure, selection and production of single-chain antibodies. Furthermore, we review current applications of antibody fragments focusing on thrombus targeting using fibrin- and platelet-specific single-chain antibodies as well as describing novel noninvasive imaging approaches for the diagnosis of thrombosis and inflammation.

Keywords

Antibody fragments - imaging - thrombosis - inflammation - phage-display

Full Text

References

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