Generation and characterization of CD1d-specific single-domain antibodies with distinct functional features

Ligation of the CD1d antigen-presenting molecule by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can trigger important biological functions. For therapeutic purposes camelid-derived variable domain of heavy-chain-only antibodies (VHH) have multiple advantages over mAbs because they are small, stable and have low immunogenicity. Here, we generated 21 human CD1d-specific VHH by immunizing Lama glama and subsequent phage display. Two clones induced maturation of dendritic cells, one clone induced early apoptosis in CD1d-expressing B lymphoblasts and multiple myeloma cells, and another clone blocked recognition of glycolipid-loaded CD1d by CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. In contrast to reported CD1d-specific mAbs, these CD1d-specific VHH have the unique characteristic that they induce specific and well-defined biological effects. This feature, combined with the above-indicated general advantages of VHH, make the CD1d-specific VHH generated here unique and useful tools to exploit both CD1d ligation as well as disruption of CD1d–iNKT interactions in the treatment of cancer or inflammatory disorders.