Current status and future expectations of nanobodies in oncology trials

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Monoclonal antibodies have revolutionized personalized medicine for cancer in recent decades. Despite their broad application in oncology, their large size and complexity may interfere with successful tumor targeting for certain applications of cancer diagnosis and therapy. Nanobodies have unique structural and pharmacological features compared to monoclonal antibodies and have successfully been used as complementary anti-cancer diagnostic and/or therapeutic tools.

Areas covered

Here, an overview is given of the nanobody-based diagnostics and therapeutics that have been or are currently being tested in oncological clinical trials. Furthermore, preclinical developments, which are likely to be translated into the clinic in the near future, are highlighted.

Expert opinion

Overall, the presented studies show the application potential of nanobodies in the field of oncology, making it likely that more nanobodies will be clinically approved in the upcoming future.

KEYWORDS:

• Nanobodies
• single domain antibodies
• oncology
• clinical translation
• diagnostics
• therapy

Article highlights

• Nbs are an interesting targeting moiety for multiple preclinical and clinical applications in the field of medicine.

• Due to their characteristics, Nbs are ideal diagnostic radiotracer vehicles to non-invasively image cancer or stromal cells.

• Several Nbs, inhibiting oncological or immuno-oncological pathways, are currently being investigated clinically.

• Nbs are used as therapeutic targeting agents to redirect toxic groups or T-cells toward tumors.

Declaration of interest

N. DeVoogdt is co-founder and scientific consultant at Precirix NV and ABSCINT NV. J. Van Ginderachter and G. Raes are co-founders of ABSCINT NV. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was funded by the Strategic Research Programme and Wetenschappelijk Fonds Willy Gepts from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. This work is further supported by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) research projects G028220N and G0A8522N. T De Pauw is funded by Kom op Tegen Kanker (Stand Up to Cancer), and the Flemish cancer society (projectID: 13022). T De Groof is funded by a post-doctoral fellowship (12ZO723N) from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Belgium.