The establishment of a WEHI nanobody platform eased the development of antibody-based treatments against COVID-19.
(Photo: Dr. Drew Berry in collaboration with Associate Professor Wai-Hong Tham, WEHI)
Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 virus with nanobodies (purple) attaching to the virus ‘spike’ protein.
While the artificial spike protein was not infectious and did not cause the alpacas to contract the disease, it allowed them to create nanobodies, the researchers emphasized. They would then extract the gene sequence encoding the nanobodies, then choose one that attaches best to the spike protein.
The leading nanobodies that stopped the virus entry were then combined into what the researchers call a nanobody cocktail. Combining the leading nanobodies into the nanobody cocktail, the researchers were able to test its efficiency in obstructing SARS-CoV-2 from intruding into cells and lowering viral loads in preclinical models.