A four-year-old llama named Winter might become the hero in the fight against Covid-19. Chosen by scientists and researchers at Ghent University in Belgium, she has been participating in a series of tests involving both SARS and MERS. It seems her antibodies have been able to neutralize those infections. Now can the same antibodies fight off Covid-19?
According to the New York Times, the llamas’ antibodies show promise against Covid-19, and although it may be a surprise to most of us about llama antibodies, their success has been lauded in the fight against H.I.V. and influenza.
And here is how this works. Humans produce one kind of antibody made up of two types of protein chains which together form a Y shape. Llamas produce the same type of protein chains which also forms a Y shape, and they also produce two types of antibodies. One of those is similar to human antibodies, but the other is much smaller – thus giving its proteins better access to break into viruses’ cells and neutralize them.
The antibody is a genetic characteristic all camelids possess. And the good part is that llamas are domesticated, easy to handle and not as stubborn as their camelid cousins – alpacas, guanacos and dromedaries. When a llama doesn’t like someone, she will spit.
Winter has been injected with spike proteins from the virus that caused the SARS and MERS epidemics, and then a sample of her blood was tested. And when the COVID-19 virus was injected, those smaller llama antibodies worked again.
Dr. Xavier Saelens, a molecular virologist at the university, is hopeful the antibody could be injected into someone who has not been infected to protect them from the virus. It would not be a permanent cure, but would last a few months without more injections. More studies are needed to verify the safety of injecting a llama’s antibodies into humans,
“There is still a lot of work to do to try to bring this into the clinic,” Dr. Saelens stated. “If it works, Llama Winter deserves a statue.”
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