Llamas and camels may seem like unexpected partners for improving human health. But their unusual antibodies have properties that lead to the production of tiny, engineered proteins — appropriately known as nanobodies — that have the potential to treat a variety of diseases, from cancer to COVID-19.
Smaller, Simpler Antibodies
About thirty years ago, scientists first discovered that there was something unique about camel antibodies compared to their human counterparts. That difference was so dramatic that the researchers initially assumed that the students who analyzed the camel blood sample had made a mistake.
