Researchers have isolated a powerful antibody from llamas that neutralizes coronaviruses, potentially offering protection for humans against COVID-19.
A groundbreaking pre-published study in the journal Cell (PDF in English / 66 pages), led by experts from Belgium, Germany, and the United States, highlights the immune potential of llamas. The research centers on Winter, a four-year-old llama housed at Ghent University in Belgium, which produced antibodies targeting coronaviruses.
The team successfully isolated this antibody. While further studies and clinical trials are essential to confirm its efficacy in humans, the preliminary results are highly encouraging.
This llama antibody directly targets the spike proteins of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19. These spike (S) proteins enable viral entry into host cells for replication. Notably, SARS-CoV-2's S proteins bind to human cell receptors with about ten times greater intensity than those of the 2003 SARS coronavirus.
Llamas generate two types of antibodies upon detecting pathogens. The first mirrors human antibodies, while the second consists of smaller, highly specific nanobodies that precisely target coronaviruses.
These are the first known antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. Administered immediately post-infection, they could provide near-instantaneous protection. The treatment may also lessen disease severity in advanced cases.
In 2016, the same Ghent University team inoculated Winter with SARS and MERS coronaviruses to develop countermeasures. Originally a side project, this work has become central to global COVID-19 research efforts.
Weeks earlier, Belgium's Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) reported discovering another neutralizing antibody, though additional trials remain necessary.
