Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Not Just for Yarn

There is an alpaca farm near our home in NJ that I love to visit. They raise alpacas, llamas, and yaks, and I always enjoy a visit there to see the animals and fondle the fiber.


But llamas may be more than cute faces and soft fiber! A study suggests that antibodies from llamas could help in the fight against COVID-19. 

"Researchers linked two copies of a special kind of antibody produced by llamas to create a new antibody that binds tightly to a key protein on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This protein, called the spike protein, allows the virus to break into host cells. Initial tests indicate that the antibody blocks viruses that display this spike protein from infecting cells in culture."

This was interesting to me because virus' spike proteins are a crucial part of how viruses get into host cells and replicate. I did not know about the camelids' immune system producing antibodies similar to humans, plus smaller ones called nanobodies that can be used in an inhaler. This means that the protective antibodies could possibly be given directly to humans to lessen or prevent the disease, without waiting for the immune system to respond as is the case with a vaccine. The Science Daily article is here, and the pre-proof Cell article can be found here. (It's long and scientifically complex, but presents a promising idea.) I can't pretend to understand all of it, but I'm glad that there are scientists who are thinking outside of the box and being helped by adorable llamas.


14 comments:

  1. I am amazed by this, and somehow not! It seems that nature will help us no matter how little we help her! And I love your Llama photos! They look so inquisitive :)

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  2. Fascinating! It's also interesting to see how that llama has been shaved in the first photos -- it's quite a look!

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  3. Fascinating creatures that I have never seen in person. Maybe someday I will get the opportunity. Hooray for scientists and thinking outside the box. They have saved us from ourselves many times.

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  4. Oh, this is really interesting! Thanks for sharing, Bonny. (Yay for science. And yay for llamas, too.)

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  5. Wow. I'm always amazed at how these dots get connected... the process boggles the mind. But YAY!!

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  6. Now I love llamas even MORE! That little one in the last photo. OH MY! LOL

    deekissinger.blogspot.com

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  7. I agree...that little one is so special! And thanks for this...there is hope!

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  8. Look at those shaggy creatures which hold such hope for us. This is just so great Bonny!

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  9. Okay, the science stuff is WAY over my head but I love that this is hopeful. Llamas for the win!

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  10. Thank you for those amazing photos. You can see how they give us the warmest fleece and wool

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  11. love the photos and the science lesson, I love to learn new things and didn't know about that.

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  12. How interesting. Science and scientists are amazing. I love a little alpaca blended into my yarns. Once my sister and I drove out to the Estes Park Wool Festival and I spent a lot of time watching and petting the alpacas.

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  13. The llama and alpaca side by side...so sweet! However, we have helped with shearing on an alpaca farm and the 200 lb llamas were NOT happy to be wrestled to the ground and sheared. Smith got a face full of green glug that would have killed a lesser man. LOL You just know the scientists have been working with llama antibodies for awhile and I hope they get the funding they need to continue their studies!

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  14. like Kat said first - amazed ... and yet, why not?! and I just love that folks besides us fiber-friends (and little ones with the Llama Mama) are finding something to love about llamas!

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