Single-domain antibodies for radio nuclear imaging and therapy of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a narrative review

Abstract

Abstract Single-domain antibodies have the characteristics of small molecular weight, strong tissue penetration, and high affinity, and are widely used to construct molecular probes for disease diagnosis and treatment. This article reviews molecular imaging studies including positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (CT), PET/CT, and fluorescent imaging of molecular probes composed of single-domain antibodies against eight esophageal squamous cell carcinoma biological targets. These 8 targets are highly expressed on the membrane of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells and include epidermal growth factor receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 3, hepatocyte growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, chemokine receptor 4, chemokine receptor 7, and carcinoembryonic antigen. The current problems and solutions are also discussed to provide a reference for future design of molecular imaging probes targeting esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.