Absolute Antibody, Redcar, UK, is partnering with University of Zurich in Switzerland to offer synthetic nanobodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes covid-19. Under the partnership, the original nanobodies and newly engineered formats are now available to the global research community for use as serological controls and in covid-19 therapeutic development. The synthetic nanobodies possess particular promise for the development of inhalable drugs, which could offer a convenient treatment option for the covid-19 pandemic.
Michael Fiebig, PhD, Absolute Antibodies.
The laboratory of Markus Seeger at University of Zurich developed a rapid in vitro selection platform to generate synthetic nanobodies, known as sybodies, against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2. Within 2 weeks, the lab had identified more than 60 unique anti-RBD sybodies from combinatorial display libraries. Further research showed that six of the sybodies bound SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with very high affinity, while five of those also inhibited ACE2, the host cell receptor to which SARS-CoV-2 binds to initiate the covid-19 infection. Moreover, two of the sybodies can simultaneously bind the RBD, which could enable the construction of a polyvalent antiviral drug. The SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are therefore valuable tools for coronavirus research, diagnostics, and therapeutic development, and the panel is now available to researchers worldwide via Absolute Antibody’s online catalog. “We are excited to partner with the Seeger lab to make their novel synthetic nanobodies more widely available to the research community,” says Michael Fiebig, DPhil, MBiochem, vice president product portfolio and innovation at Absolute Antibody. “Combined with Absolute Antibody’s unique antibody engineering approach, we can harness even more potential from the nanobodies and help scientists worldwide fight against the covid-19 pandemic.” For more information, visit Absolute Antibody.
