How Llama Antibodies Could Help Fight the Coronavirus

The llama’s specialized antibodies have been shown to stave off SARS and MERS; new research is investigating how they may combat COVID-19.

Llamas, according to Inca lore, have a divine origin. They came into being after Manco Cápac, the first Inca emperor, disapproved of the union between his son and one of his daughters. The couple fled Cusco, drawing the ire of their father, who sentenced them to death. Their mother made a desperate plea to Viracocha, the principal deity of ancient Peru, begging for the god’s mercy. Viracocha obliged, and instead of taking the young people’s lives he turned them into animals—but let them keep their human gaze. Thus was born the llama, and the animal has been an emblem of the Andes ever since.

A less celestial reading of the origin of llamas would explain that they are members of the Camelid family, the evolution of which began ages ago. For centuries, they have served as beasts of burden, ideal for work in high altitudes because their blood is extraordinarily rich in hemoglobin. Leather has been made from their hides, wool from their fleece, and fuel from their dried excrement. In more recent times, scientists have come to see tremendous potential in their antibodies. Humans produce only one kind of antibody, but some animals, including llamas, produce another that is just a quarter of the size of that found in humans. Scientists believe its size may make it the key to neutralizing coronaviruses.

Four years ago, a group of researchers from Ghent University, in Belgium, began looking into how llama antibodies could stave off Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The team was getting ready to publish its findings, late last year, when a novel coronavirus emerged in China. Could their research also be applied to SARS-CoV-2? Soon enough, they were able to verify that llama antibodies could bind to the spike proteins found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent the virus from infecting cells. In the video above, Xavier Saelens, a molecular virologist at Ghent University and one of the lead researchers on the project, speaks with The New Yorker about his findings and what they may mean for the future of coronavirus treatment.