Antibodies as a source of anti-infective peptides: an update

Abstract

This review focuses on antibodies (Abs) and their function in immune protection, with particular emphasis on microbicidal Abs. Some aspects of Abs and Ab-drug conjugates as targeting therapeutic agents are also discussed. The main aim, however, is devoted to Ab-derived peptides modulating functions of the immune system and to the latest experimental evidence of Abs as a source of anti-infective and antitumor peptides derived from their complementarity determining regions and constant regions.

Keywords: antibodies; antibody-derived anti-infective peptides; antibody-derived antitumor peptides; antibody-derived immunomodulatory peptides; cryptides; microbicidal antibodies; therapeutic antibodies.