人源重链抗体库可以分为两类:一类是体外抗体库,一类是人源重链抗体的转基因动物。
1989年发表在《Nature》上的文章中,Greg Winter就提出了人源重链抗体(“single domain antibodies”)的概念[19]。如今,围绕人源重链抗体库的研究也具有了一定的规模。
美国国立癌症研究所(NCI)何苗壮教授实验室的诸多研究,都是基于人源重链抗体库[20,21]。这个库的构建方法发表于2008年[22],据文章所述,研究人员利用天然的人源Fab库通过噬菌体展示技术筛选结合HIV-1表面gp140蛋白的抗体时,发现得到其中的一个binder其轻链DNA序列的起始区域有一个TGA终止密码子。也就是说,这个binder是一个只有重链的抗体。然而,这个抗体能够很好地折叠,具有很好的溶解性且在溶液中为单体,并且可以用原核表达系统大量表达。随后,他们以该抗体为模板,将另外的抗体库中的CDR2和CDR3区域移植到该抗体中,并将CDR1区域的可能与溶剂接触的氨基酸随机突变为A,D,S或Y 这4种氨基酸(以提高抗体的亲水性),得到一个“半天然”的重链抗体库。
另外,也有实验室以人源重链抗体为模板,构建半合成的抗体库,比如多伦多大学Sachdev S. Sidhu教授的实验室。
有体外的人源重链抗体库技术,自然就有利用免疫动物进行人源重链抗体开发的技术,典型的就是和铂医药(Harbour BioMed)的HCAb技术平台(通过收购荷兰的Harbour Antibodies BV公司得到)。
基于该平台,人们可以筛选靶向特定抗原的人源重链抗体,并且可以利用筛选得到的重链抗体开发多种不同结构的抗体药物:
结语
重链抗体,由于其分子量小而具有成药性方面的诸多优势,又由于表达简便而具有生产方面的优势,因此是一种具有吸引力的抗体类型。同时,基于重链抗体结构而设计的融合蛋白药物的开发也取得了进展。
另外,经过这些年的发展,基于重链抗体的技术开发已经层出不穷,包括重链抗体的细胞内筛选、向细胞内递送重链抗体基因的治疗方法的开发、以重链抗体为“弹头”的纳米粒给药系统的开发、重链抗体与双特异性抗体技术的联用等等,这一领域正在吸纳人们几乎无穷无尽的想象力。
但不管如何发展,如何发挥想象力,临床应用是这一领域的最终落脚点,也是我们医药行业永远不变的终极目标。希望我们每位同志,都能兼具一个永恒的信念和一份灵活的思维,将我们的行业不断向前推进。
参考文献
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