cheryl
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Llamas could save us all from the flu - Popsci
Their blood might hold the key to stopping every flu, every year.
Llamas may be large and fluffy, but their antibodies sure aren’t. And that could be a huge advantage when it comes to fighting human influenza virus.
That’s all according to a new paper in the journal Science, which showed that a therapy based on llama antibodies could protect mice from otherwise lethal doses of the flu. In theory, the technique could eventually be used to manufacture a nasal spray that would act as a so-called universal vaccine, providing long-term protection against all types of the flu.
A shot-free solution to the flu—especially one that we don't need to redesign every year—is obviously great news, but to really appreciate how ingenious this solution could be (assuming that it translates into humans from mouse trials) we have to back up a second to talk about how our bodies normally fight off the flu.
Their blood might hold the key to stopping every flu, every year.
Llamas may be large and fluffy, but their antibodies sure aren’t. And that could be a huge advantage when it comes to fighting human influenza virus.
That’s all according to a new paper in the journal Science, which showed that a therapy based on llama antibodies could protect mice from otherwise lethal doses of the flu. In theory, the technique could eventually be used to manufacture a nasal spray that would act as a so-called universal vaccine, providing long-term protection against all types of the flu.
A shot-free solution to the flu—especially one that we don't need to redesign every year—is obviously great news, but to really appreciate how ingenious this solution could be (assuming that it translates into humans from mouse trials) we have to back up a second to talk about how our bodies normally fight off the flu.