In tiny llama antibodies, researchers see hope for a coronavirus treatment

As the world waits for a vaccine to help bring about the end of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists in Northern California have been at work on a different approach — one that takes cues from llamas and their unique antibodies.

Llamas, like all mammals, have antibodies that protect them from viruses. But llama antibodies are different — they’re tiny. Their diminutive stature gives them the unique ability to bind to proteins on the outside of the coronavirus that are crucial to its spread.

Now, scientists say they hope to harness the power of llama antibodies to stop the coronavirus from infecting humans. At the University of California, San Francisco, researchers created a lab-made molecule inspired by llama antibodies that they say is surprisingly effective at neutralizing the coronavirus.