Federal researchers on Tuesday said they have successfully isolated antibodies, or “nanobodies,” from a llama that show promise in combating COVID-19.
One of these nanobodies, called NIH-CoVnb-112, could prevent infections and detect virus particles by attaching onto the spike proteins of the coronavirus, according to the National Institutes of Health, citing preliminary data from a study published in Scientific Reports.
The nanobodies also seemed to work well in liquid and aerosol form, meaning they could stay effective after being inhaled.
“The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein acts like a key. It does this by opening the door to infections when it binds to a protein called the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, found on the surface of some cells,” said T.J. Esparza, the study’s lead author and a neuroscientist for the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “We developed a method that would isolate nanobodies that block infections by covering the teeth of the spike protein that bind to and unlock the ACE2 receptor.”
A nanobody is an antibody produced by the immune systems of camelids, a group of animals that includes llamas, alpacas and camels.
These nanobodies on average are about a tenth of the weight of most human antibodies because when isolated in a lab are “free-floating versions of the tips of the arms of heavy chain proteins,” which make up the backbone of a human antibody, the NIH says. The tips could recognize proteins on viruses and bacteria known as antigens and therefore, contribute to defending the body’s immune system.
Nanobodies are more stable, less costly and easier to make than typical antibodies, spurring more researchers to use them for medical research. Several researchers have produced llama nanobodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein since the pandemic began with hopes of preventing infections.
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