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In addition to cost savings, there are Once the llamas and alpacas have to testing in mice. Ultimately, they
several advantages to using llama built up nanobodies, their blood hope to have a drug that can be used
and alpaca nanobodies to develop is drawn, and the technical stuff in clinical trials with dogs. “We hope
new drugs: begins. to squeeze that into the next two
• their small size makes them less years,” says Bracha.
likely to cause side effects; Tumor cells create a protein called
• they remain chemically stable in PDL that binds to the body’s T-cells Dr. Chris Cebra, Chair of the
storage; (the cancer fighters) and prevents Department of Clinical Sciences,
• they have a superior ability to them from doing their job. Anti-PD1 gathered money from various
recognize binding sites. gets in the middle and binds to the sources to make this project happen.
T-cell so the PDL can’t. “Anti-PD1 “We are working on a shoestring,”
What are binding sites? That’s maintains the T-cell’s killing signal,” says Dr. Bracha. But all involved feel
where antibodies fight the invaders. says Carl Ruby, project co-leader. the potential is so huge, it is worth
For example: when an animal’s [See illustration below.] the struggle.
immune system recognizes a foreign
substance like a virus, it sends out Using camelid blood, the research Dr. Cebra also notes that nanobodies
specific antibodies that will bind to team was able to generate a family show great promise for a wide range
virus cells to inhibit their perfor- of Anti-PD1 nanobodies and find of medical treatments and OSU is
mance. Nanobodies do it better. the one that was most effective at the ideal place for that to happen.
blocking cancer cells. This final
For the CCVM research project, Anti-PD1 holds so much promise “There is a lot of interest worldwide
alpacas and llamas were vaccinated for canine cancer treatment that in nanobody research for all kinds of
with a canine protein to stimulate OSU requested and received a provi- medical uses, but most researchers
their immune system to produce a sional patent on it. have little or no access to camelids,”
specific nanobody called Anti-PD1. says Dr. Cebra. “The Carlson College
“It’s like getting a flu shot,” says Dan “We are still a long way from of Veterinary Medicine is a world
Mourich, co-leader of a research producing a drug,” says Dr. Shay leader in camelid medicine, has a
team that is developing Anti-PD1 Bracha, a veterinary oncologist on camelid research laboratory, and has
as a canine cancer treatment.“The the team. “There are many, many a sizable herd of llamas and alpacas.
animals are not infected with steps to doing that.” The team wants That makes us uniquely placed to
anything, it’s just a purified protein.” to further understand how it binds develop this technology, and to
and why it is effective, then move on collaborate with other researchers.”
T-Cell
(cancer fighter)
Anti-PD1
Nanobody
PDL Cancer Cell
(T-Cell killer)
binding site
vetmed.oregonstate.edu • 7
