Llama nanoantibodies: a new weapon against COVID-19

Llamas are displayed at the launch of the “International Year of Camelids 2024”, in La Paz, Bolivia May 7, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Morales

In a world still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19science continues to search for innovative solutions to confront the virus.

An international team of researchers, together with INTA, has taken a significant step by discovering that Llama-derived nanoantibodies may be effective in neutralizing various SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the omicron variant.

Camelids, such as camels, llamas and alpacasare not only important to rural Andean communities for their wool and meat, but are also proving valuable in the scientific field. These animals, adapted to the harsh conditions of the Andes, have a unique immune system which produces the nanoantibodies used in this research.

Immunization of llamas with SARS-CoV-2 proteins allowed the selection of the most effective nanoantibodies, a process carried out at INTA.

Llama-derived nanoantibodies may be effective in neutralizing several SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the omicron (inta) variant

Also known as VHH or ‘nanobodies’, nanoantibodies are derived from antibodies present in the aforementioned camelids. Unlike conventional antibodies, These nanoantibodies are significantly smaller, allowing them to infiltrate tissues more efficiently and block the virus more effectively.

This study, led by INTA in collaboration with the Faculty of Exact Sciences of the UBA and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, shows that nanoantibodies can neutralize several SARS-CoV-2 variants, demonstrating remarkable potential for the treatment of COVID-19.

This breakthrough would not have been possible without the collaboration of multiple institutions and scientists. From Argentina, the INTA team, with the outstanding participation of Viviana Parreño, Marina Bok and other experts, joined researchers from the UBA and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the United States.

The collaboration was extended to Canada, with technological support from the NRCC, and to the United States, with the participation of the NIH. This international cooperation network was key to carrying out the tests on mice and developing the technology necessary for the production of nanoanticues.rpos.

The results of the study are encouraging. The nanoantibodies not only effectively neutralized the alpha, beta, delta and omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2, but also managed to reduce the viral load in the lungs and brain of infected mice. This ability is particularly important in combating COVID-19 encephalitis, a rare and severe brain complication of the virus.

One of the nanoantibodies developed showed 80% protection in mice exposed to the original Wuhan strain, while others were effective against the omicron variant.These findings suggest that nanoantibodies could offer a new treatment avenue for SARS-CoV-2 infections, especially in severe cases affecting the central nervous system.

The tireless work of these scientists ultimately aims to develop new treatments that can save lives. The urgency of the situation, with the continuous emergence of new variants of the virus, makes this type of research crucial. “Our goal is to help develop a new treatment against SARS-CoV-2,” says Parreño, who has been studying nanoantibodies for over a decade.

Source: Inta