Nanobodies synthesized from camel blood render special properties, which have potential in drug development. A new study published in the Journal of Controlled Release states that camel blood will help to battle cancer.
The specific heavy-chain antibodies, present in the camelid family members, can be utilized to clone nanobodies, which are therapeutic proteins derived from nanobodies. Nanobodies can easily bind to other nanoparticles and proteins using easy chemical procedures.
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have developed nanoparticles less than 150nm that are deposited with nanobodies to help fight breast and colon cancer. These nanobodies are highly specific to the cancer marker Mucin-1.
Professor Moein Moghimi stated that this technique is effective in experimental cancer gene therapy, and also simultaneously reduces unfavorable reactions to cancer nanomedicines. The research will help design and engineer safe and effective nanomedicines for the future.
The processes for generation, purification, and immunization of the Mucin-1 nanobody were performed at the Medical Biotechnology Department of the Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran.
Nanobodies are very tiny when compared to other protein-based drugs and almost 10 times tinier than intact antibodies. They exhibit low-sensitivity to temperature and pH variations and can easily be attached to proteins and nanoparticles. Such properties enable nanobodies to target cancer cells.
The paper explains the method by which a Mucin-1 nanobody was connected to unique nanoparticles manufactured from polymers that had a killer gene called truncated-Bid, The expression of the gene induces the cells to destroy themselves. The killer gene will be expressed only under the influence of the Mucin-1 in order to prevent random killing of cells.
Such procedures are also known as "transcriptional targeting", which can help cure tissue toxicities of other cancers. The technique was highly effective to kill cancer cells expressing the Mucin-1 marker, while normal cells or cancer cells that did not express the Mucin-1 marker did not suffer any damage. The capacities of these nanoparticles are being tested in animal models. The team has now purified a nanobody to fight cancer marker (Her-2), which is expressed by some breast tumors.
Source: http://www.ku.dk/