The development of the hybridoma technology created the possibility to obtain unlimited amounts of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) with high specificity and affinity for any target and to introduce mAbs in a wide range of applications; however, the bulky size of mAbs, costly production, and cumbersome engineering hampered regularly their streamlined development in some applications. In Single Domain Antibodies: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers examine single variable domain antibody fragments, referred to as VH, VL, VHH or VNAR. These fragments are the smallest intact antigen-binding fragments that can be produced recombinantly at low cost. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) represent the minimal antigen binding-competent form of the immunoglobulin domain and have unique properties and applications. SdAbs are naturally produced as the variable domains of the heavy chain-only antibodies of camelid ruminants and cartilaginous fishes, but can also be engineered synthetically from autonomous human or mouse VH or VL domains. The scope of this research topic and associated e-book covers current understanding and new developments in (i) the biology, immunology and immunogenetics of sdAbs in camelids and cartilaginous fishes, (ii) strategies for sdAb discovery, (iii) protein engineering approaches to increase the solubility, stability and antigen-binding affinity of sdAbs and (iv) specialized applications of sdAbs in areas such diagnostics, imaging and therapeutics.

The concept of using bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy by retargeting immune effector cells was developed several years ago. Initial clinical studies were rather disappointing mainly due to low efficacy, severe side effects and the immunogenicity of the bispecific antibodies. The progress in antibody engineering finally led to the generation of new classes of bispecific antibodies lacking these obstacles. In addition, new applications were established, such as pre-targeting strategies in radioimmunotherapy and dual targeting approaches in order to improve binding, selectivity and efficacy. In this book, the different ways of generating bispecific antibodies are described, with emphasis on recombinant formats. The various applications of bispecific antibodies, e.g. in cellular cancer immunotherapy, radioimmunotherapy and pretargeting strategies are covered, and emerging applications such as dual targeting strategies, which involve the simultaneous inhibition of two targets, are addressed.

Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary research field that integrates chemistry, engineering, biology, and medicine. Nanomaterials offer tremendous opportunity as well as challenges for researchers. Of course, cancer is one of the world's most common health problems, responsible for many deaths. Exploring efficient anticancer drugs could revolutionize treatment options and help manage cancer mortality. Nanomedicine plays a significant role in developing alternative and more effective treatment strategies for cancer theranostics. This book mainly focuses on the emerging trends using nanomaterials and nanocomposites as alternative anticancer material’s. The book is divided into three main topic areas: how to overcome existing traditional approaches to combat cancer, applying multiple mechanisms to target the cancer cells, and how nanomaterials can be used as effective carriers. The contents highlight recent advances in interdisciplinary research on processing, morphology, structure, and properties of nanostructured materials and their applications to combat cancer.Cancer Nanotheranostics is comprehensive in that it discusses all aspects of cancer nanotechnology. Because of the vast amount of information, it was decided to split this material into two volumes. In the first volume of Cancer Nanotheranostics, we discuss the role of different nanomaterials for cancer therapy, including lipid-based nanomaterials, protein and peptide-based nanomaterials, polymer-based nanomaterials, metal-organic nanomaterials, porphyrin-based nanomaterials, metal-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanomaterials, exosome-based nanomaterials and nano-antibodies. In the second volume, we discuss the nano-based diagnosis of cancer, nano-oncology for clinical applications, nano-immunotherapy, nano-based photothermal cancer therapy, nano-erythrosomes for cancer drug delivery, regulatory perspectives of nanomaterials, limitations of cancer nanotheranostics, the safety of nano-biomaterials for cancer nanotheranostics, multifunctional nanomaterials for targeting cancer nanotheranostics, and the role of artificial intelligence in cancer nanotheranostics.

Antibody Engineering comprises in vitro selection and modification of human antibodies including humanization of mouse antibodies for therapy, diagnosis, and research. This book comprises an overview about the generation of antibody diversity and essential techniques in antibody engineering: construction of immune, naive and synthetic libraries, all available in vitro display methods, humanization by chain shuffling, affinity maturation techniques, de novo synthesis of antibody genes, colony assays for library screening, construction of scFvs from hybridomas, and purification of monoclonal antibodies by exclusion chromatography. In addition, other topics that are discussed in this book are application and mechanism of single domain antibodies, structural diversity of antibodies, immune-mediated skin reactions induced by TNF-alpha recombinant antibodies, and bioinformatic approaches to select pathogen-derived peptide sequences for antibody targets.

Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) represent the minimal antigen binding-competent form of the immunoglobulin domain and have unique properties and applications. SdAbs are naturally produced as the variable domains of the heavy chain-only antibodies of camelid ruminants and cartilaginous fishes, but can also be engineered synthetically from autonomous human or mouse VH or VL domains. The scope of this research topic and associated e-book covers current understanding and new developments in (i) the biology, immunology and immunogenetics of sdAbs in camelids and cartilaginous fishes, (ii) strategies for sdAb discovery, (iii) protein engineering approaches to increase the solubility, stability and antigen-binding affinity of sdAbs and (iv) specialized applications of sdAbs in areas such diagnostics, imaging and therapeutics.

This book presents the timeline of immunodiagnostics evolution, including advancements in immunological/nucleic acid probes, assay design, labelling techniques, and devices for signal transduction and acquisition. In the past few years, enzyme and nanocatalyst-based immune assays have undergone numerous modifications to enhance their sensitivity and potential for automation. Further, to reduce production costs and the use of laboratory animals, engineering small antibodies and nucleic acid probes (aptamers) has become increasingly popular in the development of novel and powerful bioassays. In light of the notable advancements in immunodiagnostics, this book highlights the combined efforts of clinicians, biotechnologists, material scientists, nanotechnologists and basic scientists in a coherent and highly structured way. The book takes readers on the journey of immunodiagnostic technologies, from their introduction to the present.