Ensembles in solution as a new paradigm for antibody structure prediction and design
Monica L. Fernández-Quintero,
Guy Georges,
Janos M. Varga,
Klaus R. Liedl
Affiliations
Monica L. Fernández-Quintero
Department of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Guy Georges
Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
Janos M. Varga
Department of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Klaus R. Liedl
Department of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
The rise of antibodies as a promising and rapidly growing class of biotherapeutic proteins has motivated numerous studies to characterize and understand antibody structures. In the past decades, the number of antibody crystal structures increased substantially, which revolutionized the atomistic understanding of antibody functions. Even though numerous static structures are known, various biophysical properties of antibodies (i.e., specificity, hydrophobicity and stability) are governed by their dynamic character. Additionally, the importance of high-quality structures in structure–function relationship studies has substantially increased. These structure–function relationship studies have also created a demand for precise homology models of antibody structures, which allow rational antibody design and engineering when no crystal structure is available. Here, we discuss various aspects and challenges in antibody design and extend the paradigm of describing antibodies with only a single static structure to characterizing them as dynamic ensembles in solution.
