Knowledge Sharing

In the 1970s, scientists discovered the first incretin hormone, GIP (Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide), and later identified the second incretin hormone: Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is secreted by intestinal L cells in the distal small intestine and proximal colon, encoded by the proglucagon gene, and is a polypeptide consisting of 30 amino acids[1-3].

Herpes Simplex Virus comprises HSV‑1 and HSV‑2, causing oral and genital herpes respectively. Both can lead to severe complications. Current drugs such as acyclovir only inhibit replication but not latency or recurrence. Conformational changes in gB also drive increasing drug resistance.

Chemokines are a class of small cytokines or signaling proteins secreted by cells. They are so named because of their ability to induce directional chemotaxis of nearby responsive cells. All their receptors belong to the G protein - coupled receptor (GPCR) family with 7 - transmembrane domains, and are mainly expressed in cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts [1].

Brain disorders linked to NMDA receptor hypofunction, such as schizophrenia and GRIN1-related diseases, lack effective treatments. Traditional drugs lack selectivity and antibodies fail to cross the BBB. An international team developed bispecific nanobody DN13-DN1, which crosses the BBB, enhances mGlu2 activity, and improves cognitive and sensorimotor deficits in mouse models with stable efficacy and no obvious side effects, published in Nature.

In modern medical diagnostics and life science research, proteins are key biomarkers related to disease phenotypes, so their rapid and accurate detection is essential. Traditional methods have many limitations. ELISA involves tedious steps and strict conditions, hardly meeting point-of-care and high-throughput needs. Mass spectrometry, the gold standard, relies on large, expensive instruments and long analysis.

In the long fight against viruses, constant viral mutation creates an ongoing arms race. While the COVID-19 pandemic has eased, coronaviruses still threaten global public health with new variants. A team including the University of Pittsburgh screened pan-sarbecovirus nanobodies (psNbs) with "super immunity" from immunized alpacas. Published in Cell Reports, this work aims for a universal solution against the whole virus family.

Studying protein localization, interactions, and dynamics is key in plant biology, but traditional tags (fluorescent proteins, epitope tags) are often large, low-affinity, or limited in use. They can disrupt structure and function of hard-to-tag proteins like multi-transmembrane transporters. Nanobodies offer high affinity and genetic encodability. The ALFA tag–nanobody system works well in animal/yeast cells but lacks systematic evaluation in plants.

Lupus erythematosus is a chronic and relapsing autoimmune disease, commonly affecting women aged 20–40 years. Based on the site of pathological involvement, it is classified into cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), which is confined to the skin, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects multiple organs throughout the body.

Nanobodies show great value in biomedicine, diagnosis, treatment, and agriculture. High-quality nanobodies rely on zero-immune-background and scientifically raised llamas. Nabao Life, offering full services from llama immunization to nanobody discovery, engineering, and validation, has always prioritized standardized llama management.

About 10% of severe asthma patients are steroid-resistant, with traditional inhalers ineffective. High TSLP activates signaling pathways that block budesonide’s action. Current anti-TSLP antibodies show low lung concentration and off-target effects. A joint team proposed the ASCEND strategy to solve these problems. This article reviews the study published in Nature Communications.

CD19, a type I transmembrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is a B cell-specific marker expressed throughout B cell development except plasma cells. It forms a co-receptor complex with CD21/CD81 to augment BCR signaling, activating kinases and downstream molecules, lowering B cell activation threshold and boosting immune sensitivity.

In 1989, Belgian scientists first discovered heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs) in camel serum. These ~90 kDa antibodies comprise an Fc fragment (hinge, CH2, CH3) and two VHH variable regions. Nanobodies (Nb) are the isolated VHH domains from HCAbs.