Inside STAT: Inspired by llamas’ unique antibodies, scientists create a potent anti-coronavirus molecule

A RESEARCHER HOLDS A TUBE OF PURIFIED SPIKE PROTEIN FROM THE SARS-COV-2 VIRUS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, LAB OF AASHISH MANGLIK. (UCSF/NOAH BERGER)

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have synthesized what they think is among the most potent anti-coronavirus molecules tested in lab to date. It's part of a family of compounds known as nanobodies, which are a quarter of the size of regular antibodies and have been inspired by the unique infection-fighting molecules found in llamas, alpacas, and other camelids. Nanobodies are especially promising because they're small enough to fit into nooks and crannies around proteins and help block viruses from attaching and infecting cells. In a new paper to be published to the preprint server bioRxiv, the researchers describe how one such nanobody is so stable that it can be converted to a dry powder and aerosolized, making it perhaps a more promising option against SARS-CoV-2 than other antibody-based treatments that are currently being explored. STAT contributor Usha Lee McFarling has more here.