LOOK: Researchers at USU Turn To Alpacas For Breakthroughs In Medical Science

The fuzzy looking animals from South America with long necks may have the answer to some of humanity's most stubborn diseases. That’s what researchers at Utah State think and they are working with Alpacas that could be a medical breakthrough. 

Antibodies in Alpacas are Smaller That Gives Them an Advantage 

These animals have antibodies like humans except they are not as big. This may not seem like much, but because of their size, they can go places human antibodies can’t. That means they can penetrate tissues larger ones aren't able to. 

This immune system found in the Camillidae family, that is camels, llamas and alpacas, could help humans fight diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and other virus infections. That is if these antibodies called hcAbs could be modified to combat these diseases. 

Utah State University is on the Cutting Edge of Alpaca Antibody Research 

Professor Zhongde Wang of USU and some of his students are working on genetically altering these antibodies and making them work for people. This added boost to the immune system could potentially have a big impact on our quality of life in the future.

It is a long process with a lot of trial and error, but I'm glad someone thought to look at these hardy animals and ask why they seem so healthy. It is fascinating what can be discovered in the most unlikely places.

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In the future, we may be thanking the humble Alpaca and the smart people at Utah State University for wonder cures for diseases that plague us.