Alternative Scaffolds as Bispecific Antibody Mimetics

Abstract

The use of non-immunoglobulin-based protein scaffolds for engineering of specific recognition was first described some 15 years ago and has matured as a discipline in parallel with the rapidly expanding monoclonal antibody field. As bispecific antibodies and antibody fragments have come into focus lately, the corresponding development of bispecific alternative scaffolds is also emerging. Here, the concept of alternative scaffold proteins is introduced along with comparisons to the antibody and antibody derivatives counterparts. Although the field of bispecifics is anticipated to grow rapidly in the near future, relatively few examples of bispecific binders based on alternative protein scaffolds are reported in the literature. This chapter will present an overview of work that have been published, including a brief introduction to the particular molecular scaffolds with the structural basis and some of the biophysical and biochemical properties before describing the bispecific application.