Identification of a nanobody specific to human pulmonary surfactant protein A

Sci Rep. 2017 May 3;7(1):1412. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01456-2.

Abstract

Nanobody (Nb) is a promising vector for targeted drug delivery. This study aims to identify an Nb that can specifically target the lung by binding human pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A). Human lung frozen tissue sections were used for 3 rounds of biospanning of our previously constructed Nb library for rat SP-A to establish a sub-library of Nb, which specifically bound human lung tissues. Phage-ELISA was performed to screen the sub-library to identify Nb4, which specifically bound human SP-A. The binding affinity Kd of Nb4 to recombinant human SP-A was 7.48 × 10-7 M. Nb4 (19 kDa) was stable at 30 °C-37 °C and pH 7.0-7.6 and specifically bound the SP-A in human lung tissue homogenates, human lung A549 cells, and human lung tissues, whereas didn't react with human liver L-02 cells, kidney 293T cells, and human tissues from organs other than the lung. Nb4 accumulated in the lung of nude mice 5 minutes after a tail vein injection of Nb4 and was excreted 3 hours. Short-term exposure (one month) to Nb4 didn't cause apparent liver and kidney toxicity in rats, whereas 3-month exposure resulted in mild liver and kidney injuries. Nb4 may be a promising vector to specifically deliver drugs to the lung.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / immunology*
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / pharmacology*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Single-Domain Antibodies