Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Drug Discov Today. 2018 Aug 16;24(2):462–491. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2018.08.009

TABLE 1.

Comparison between antibody and affibody as a targeting ligand

Antibody Affibody
Structure Intact IgG monoclonal antibody Small peptide chain
Size Large size around 150 kDa Small size around 6.5 kDa [43]
Affinity & specificity Strong Strong [43]
Heat stability Poor Stable
Manufacturing process Difficult process Easy process
Production In vivo depending on the immune system In vitro by chemical synthesis or by inexpensive bacterial production [44] (Originally IgG-binding, Z domain derived from staphylococcal surface protein A).
Cost Costly Not costly
Immunogenicity The early produced murine antibodies generated human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response. After which the production of humanized monoclonal antibodies has been significantly decreasing the immunogenic reactions such as anaphylactic shock. However, some humanized antibodies still carry immunological risk [45] Non-immunogenic [46]
Clearance Long circularity time Rapid clearance of unbound trace due to its small size [47]
Imaging properties - Acceptable imaging contrast
- Analysis few days after injection
- Acceptable tumor penetration
- Compatible with variable detection method.
- Strong imaging contrast
- Analysis few hours after injection
- Better tumor penetration due to small size and enhanced EPR effect.
- Minimal background and interference.
- Compatible with variable detection method [47]
Examples - Pertuzumab: anti HER2+ antibody
- Ofatumumab: anti-CD20
- ABY-035: anti-IL-17
- HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA: anti-HER3 affibody
HHS Vulnerability Disclosure