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Llamas Help Fight Cancer and Disease!
1 Jun
Summary
- Llamas named after TV characters aid disease research.
- Their unique nanobodies are key to new drug development.
- Research could lead to future treatments for cancer and viruses.
A herd of 23 llamas at the University of Reading's Centre for Dairy Research are playing a crucial role in advancing medical science. Five of these llamas have been named after characters from the beloved sitcom "Only Fools and Horses," adding a touch of personality to the research facility.
The llamas are instrumental in the study of nanobodies, a specialized type of antibody unique to certain animals, including llamas. These nanobodies are significantly smaller than human antibodies, making them ideal for engineering into potential new drugs and research tools.
Researchers extract these nanobodies after exposing the llamas to a harmless quantity of a virus, a process analogous to vaccination. The university assures that the animals are unharmed during these procedures. Notably, nanobodies from this herd were utilized during the Covid-19 pandemic for research into potential treatments for the virus.
Professor Gary Stephens, who leads the research, highlighted the profound impact of this work, stating that the nanobodies could revolutionize treatments for various conditions, including cancer and infectious diseases. The research initiative is further supported by Llamatech NBS, a university spin-out company.
