Llama Monoclonal Antibody

With our novel Single Plasma Cell Interrogation (SPIN®) Technology, single chain antibodies are isolated from individual plasma cells of immunized llamas and are expressed in mammalian cells, allowing them to be functionally analyzed.

Benefits

Accessibility

VHH single domain antibodies are only 15kD in size, compared to about 150kD for typical immunoglobulins. The smaller size makes it easier to penetrate tissues and gives them access to “hidden” epitopes while readily crossing the blood-brain barrier.

Solubility

Single domain antibodies display a marked reduction of in hydrophobicity, which in turn leads to a very high solubility.

Stability

VHH antibodies are extremely stable and resistant to both high acidity and high temperature. They’re even able to fold back into a functional protein after denaturation.

Engineerable

VHH antibodies are pure monomers, offering fast-track lead optimization and engineering to bi-specific nanobodies.

Benefits

Accessibility

VHH single domain antibodies are only 15kD in size, compared to about 150kD for typical immunoglobulins. The smaller size makes it easier to penetrate tissues and gives them access to “hidden” epitopes while readily crossing the blood-brain barrier.

Stability

VHH antibodies are extremely stable and resistant to both high acidity and high temperature. They’re even able to fold back into a functional protein after denaturation.

Solubility

Single domain antibodies display a marked reduction of in hydrophobicity, which in turn leads to a very high solubility.

Engineerable

VHH antibodies are pure monomers, offering fast-track lead optimization and engineering to bi-specific nanobodies.

Why Llama?

Llama antibodies have all the characteristics we expect from mammalian immune systems. However, they also include a group of smaller antibodies that don’t correspond to anything seen in other animals. They are heavy chain dimers with an extensive antigen-binding repertoire. They lack the light chains altogether. Because of their small size, single chain antibodies raised against small enzymes such and can access their enzymatic active sites to provide potent enzyme inhibition.

Llama IgG Gene Structure

The Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) and the llama (Lama glama) have three IgG subclasses: the conventional IgG1 and the non-conventional IgG2 and IgG3.

What makes IgG2 and IgG3 different from its two counterpart? There’s a splicing defect in the CH1 exon which causes the CH1 domain to be absent in both the gamma 2 and gamma 3 chains. This leads to a striking difference from IgG1: a lack of light chains in IgG2 and IgG3.

Timelines

4 MTH
Phase 1
Llama Immunization
2 Days
Phase 2
Isolation of Plasma Cells
30 Days
Phase 3
Single domain library construction
20 Days
Phase 4
Screening and selection

Deliverables

Phase I Timeline Deliverables
Llama immunization 4-6 months ELISA data
Phase II Timeline Deliverables
Splenectomy and lymphocyte isolation
First screening with FACS (> a million B cells)
  • Antigen-specific plasma cell identification and isolation.
  • Single plasma cell heavy and light chain amplification.
  • 2 weeks
    Supernatant production, and Secondary screening 4 weeks ELISA data
    Phase III Timeline Deliverables
  • Clone deconvolution
  • Small scale culture and production, yield ~ 0.5mg Ab per clone
  • 3 weeks Purified Antibody

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