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.

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.

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.

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.

In contrast to existing books on immunoinformatics, this volume presents a cross-section of immunoinformatics research. The contributions highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the field and how collaborative efforts among bioinformaticians and bench scientists result in innovative strategies for understanding the immune system. Immunoinformatics is ideal for scientists and students in immunology, bioinformatics, microbiology, and many other disciplines.

The last decade has witnessed remarkable developments in antibody research and its therapeutic applications. With the methods of molecular biology it is now possible to manipulate the specificities and activities of antibody molecules to generate an almost limitless array of structures for both basic investigations and the clinical setting. The contributions to this volume cover all three domains of the antibody: the variable regions, the relatively neglected but crucial hinge, and the constant region. These studies provide critical structural and functional information about antibodies, while also pointing the way to the construction of molecules with enhanced or even novel properties. Bringing together major experts on antibody engineering, this book is highly recommended to faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, cancer research and genetics.