UT and Belgian Researchers Study Llama Cells in Search For Vaccine
- Jun 3, 2020
- Suvi Bhalgat
With the help of a four-year-old Belgian llama named Winter, researchers at UT Austin and Ghent University are studying virus-fighting antibodies that may lead to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.
In collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and Ghent University in Belgium, UT researchers Jason McLellan and Daniel Wrapp found that certain antibodies Winter produced can inhibit viruses from infecting other cells. McLellan and Wrapp have been studying how Winter fends off coronaviruses for several years now. The latest results of their research are key to developing treatments for those infected with the virus as well as high-risk groups, such as the elderly and health-care workers on the frontlines.
McLellan and Wrapp have already made several breakthroughs in the fight against COVID-19, including identifying the virus’s spike protein, which is what enables the virus to infect cells.
Read more about Winter’s role in COVID-19 treatment development on UT News.
