Antibody mimetics are organic compounds that, like antibodies, can specifically bind antigens, but that are not structurally related to antibodies. They are usually artificial peptides or proteins with a molar mass of about 3 to 20 kDa. Nucleic acids and small molecules are sometimes considered antibody mimetics as well, but not artificial antibodies, antibody fragments and fusion proteins composed from these. Some types have an antibody-like beta-sheet structure. Common advantages over antibodies are better solubility, tissue penetration, stability towards heat and enzymes, and comparatively low production costs. Antibody mimetics are being developed as therapeutic and diagnostic agents.[1]
| Antibody mimetic | Scaffold | Molar mass | Example drug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affibody molecules[2] | Z domain of Protein A | 6 kDa | ABY-025 |
| Affilins[3] | Gamma-B crystallin | 20 kDa | |
| Ubiquitin | 10 kDa | SPVF 2801 | |
| Affitins[4] | Sac7d (from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius) | 7 kDa | |
| Anticalins[5] | Lipocalins | 20 kDa | |
| Avimers[6] | A domains of various membrane receptors | 9–18 kDa | |
| DARPins[7] | Ankyrin repeat motif | 10–19 kDa | MP0112 |
| Fynomers[8] | SH3 domain of Fyn | 7 kDa | |
| Kunitz domain peptides[9] | Kunitz domains of various protease inhibitors | 6 kDa | Ecallantide |
| Monobodies[10] | 10th type III domain of fibronectin | 10 kDa | Angiocept |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)