Deep Dive into Alpaca’s Nanobody Repertoire Identifies Potent SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizers

A man wearing a protective face mask walks past an illustration of a virus outside a regional science center amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Oldham, Britain August 3, 2020. (Reuters)

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a novel strategy for identifying potent miniature antibodies, so-called nanobodies, against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The approach led to the discovery of multiple nanobodies that in cell cultures and mice effectively blocked infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants. The findings, which are described in the journals Nature Communications and Science Advances, could pave the way for new treatments against COVID-19.