Inhaled nanobody treatment to prevent and treat COVID-19
Structure-guided and epitope-based design of potent and broadly neutralizing nanobodies for COVID-19 mucosal immunotherapy
Researchers are creating tiny inhaled antibody-like medicines called nanobodies to help prevent and treat COVID-19, including different variants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10849894 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about work where scientists design very small antibody-like proteins (nanobodies) that stick to stable parts of the coronavirus spike using detailed 3D structural maps. They will screen many nanobodies to find ones that neutralize a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants and map which viral spots are least likely to change. Promising nanobodies will be formulated for delivery into the airway and tested in laboratory and animal models for safety and ability to block infection. The long-term aim is to create an inhaled medicine that could be used as a preventive or treatment option for people at risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future trials would include people at ongoing risk of COVID-19 exposure or individuals who respond poorly to vaccines, such as some immunocompromised patients.
Not a fit: People with strong existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2 or who are not at risk of exposure may not gain direct benefit from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce an inhaled therapy that prevents infection or reduces disease severity across many SARS-CoV-2 variants.
How similar studies have performed: Other nanobody and single-domain antibody approaches have shown promising results in lab and animal studies, but inhaled nanobody treatments remain largely at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cavacini, Lisa a — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Cavacini, Lisa a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.