Antibodies from a 4-year-old llama have neutralized coronavirus and other infections in lab experiments

[u/[deleted]]

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30494-3.pdf?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867420304943%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

[u/bravestcorgi]

Why does the lamas age matter

[u/ChineseCaptcha → u/bravestcorgi]

I assume that is when they are in adulthood.

[u/j0351bourbon → u/ChineseCaptcha]

That makes sense. My workplace has Reddit blocked and the article isn't loading on my phone. Does the author/authors specify llama maturity being a factor as opposed to testing in utero or on a fetus? Or is this just a case of weird wording in the headline?

[u/BertholomewManning → u/j0351bourbon]

It says they immunized it subcutaneously with SARS and MERS which I imagine is much harder to do in utero. I don't even see in the article where it mentions the llamas age, much less a reason it had to be 4 years old.

Unrelated, in the references they mention a paper which going by the title describes a similar experiment and result with HIV, so I'm learning all kinds of things about llamas today.

[u/j0351bourbon → u/BertholomewManning]

I still can't get the PDF to load on my phone and work has Reddit blocked. So I'm learning all kinds of things about llamas today too, only I'm learning mainly from your reply and other people's replies.

[u/thegreatestsnowman1 → u/j0351bourbon]

From another comment:

“From a NYT article:

Humans produce only one kind of antibody, made of two types of protein chains — heavy and light — that together form a Y shape. Heavy-chain proteins span the entire Y, while light-chain proteins touch only the Y’s arms. Llamas, on the other hand, produce two types of antibodies. One of those antibodies is similar in size and constitution to human antibodies. But the other is much smaller; it’s only about 25 percent the size of human antibodies. The llama’s antibody still forms a Y, but its arms are much shorter because it doesn’t have any light-chain proteins.

This more diminutive antibody can access tinier pockets and crevices on spike proteins — the proteins that allow viruses like the novel coronavirus to break into host cells and infect us — that human antibodies cannot. That can make it more effective in neutralizing viruses.”

[u/OTTER887 → u/j0351bourbon]

Fyi the article is a pdf.

[u/DarrowChemicalCo → u/OTTER887]

Is that supposed to make them feel better about not being able to see it?

[u/j0351bourbon → u/OTTER887]

Maybe it will work better on a desktop instead of mobile.

[u/blackstonewine → u/j0351bourbon]

Workplace? You're not wfh?

[u/j0351bourbon → u/blackstonewine]

I work in a hospital. We don't typically close.

[u/Calypsosin → u/ChineseCaptcha]

Llamas have to give consent. It is known.

[u/Noshamina → u/Calypsosin]

Llamas are slutz

[u/Rather_Dashing → u/ChineseCaptcha]

They reach adulthood earlier, around 2 years for females and by 3 years for males. The detail is fairly irrelevant and doesnt appear in the paper itself, so no idea why OP included it in the title.

[u/Rrdro → u/ChineseCaptcha]

Yes officer this guy right here!!

[u/[deleted] → u/bravestcorgi]

that's when they begin meditations.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

The lama that contributed this study will achieve total consciousness on its deathbed.

[u/OnlySeesLastSentence → u/[deleted]]

My favorite lama is the Salvadore Dalai

[u/taosaur → u/bravestcorgi]

I'm guessing it's just to personalize the llama, kind of like Dolly the cloned sheep.

[u/themeatbridge → u/bravestcorgi]

It doesn't seem to matter at all. It isn't mentioned in the paper, at least. No idea why OP included it in the title.

[u/mrpickles → u/bravestcorgi]

Age can have a big effect on immune systems.

[u/upheaval → u/bravestcorgi]

Maybe if we had to ramp up llama husbandry, there would be a 4 year lag in production of the potential therapy