Knowledge Sharing

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.

Current schizophrenia drugs mainly block dopamine D2 and 5‑HT receptors, relieving positive symptoms but not negative ones. mGlu2, a GPCR that regulates glutamate transmission, may improve both positive and cognitive symptoms. However, multiple mGlu2‑targeted drugs, including Eli Lilly’s mGlu2/3 agonist pomaglumetad, failed in clinical trials, suggesting a key gap in mechanistic understanding.

Protein function relies heavily on post-translational modifications (PTMs), which regulate conformation, activity and interactions. Over 80% of functional proteins undergo reversible PTMs. Palmitoylation, a key PTM, modifies cysteine residues and affects membrane localization and stability. Its abnormality is linked to cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, yet traditional methods lack spatiotemporal specificity.

Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The 2023 WHO report notes 250 million annual cases and over 600,000 deaths globally, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The parasite matures in mosquitoes and infects humans via bites. Its most vulnerable stage is when sporozoites form oocysts. Scientists found the protein PfPIMMS43 helps parasites evade the immune system during this period.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks healthy tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. They are the second most common disorders after cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Their pathogenesis is unclear but linked to genetics, self-antigens, and immune dysregulation. Current treatments like NSAIDs and TNF‑α inhibitors have side effects, and 40% of patients do not respond to TNF‑α inhibitors.