{"id":30014,"date":"2025-07-29T13:06:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/30014\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T13:06:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:06:17","slug":"surprising-ally-in-fight-against-schizophrenia-llamas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/30014\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprising ally in fight against schizophrenia: Llamas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to llama antibodies, French researchers have successfully reduced the symptoms of schizophrenia.<\/p>\n<p>This breakthrough, which involves crossing the brain\u2019s protective barrier, could revolutionize the treatment of mental disorders. According to a new study, llamas may offer a beacon of hope for schizophrenia treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that causes individuals to perceive reality abnormally. However, this domesticated, woolly animal native to South America might hold the key to helping treat the disease.<\/p>\n<p>This week, French scientists announced they designed a small part of an antibody called a \u201cnanobody\u201d using llama antibodies \u2013 proteins that help protect the immune system. This nanobody can activate a neurotransmitter that regulates neural activity in the brain.<\/p>\n<p>Neurotransmitters are chemical molecules that carry messages between nerve cells.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, llama antibodies have been shown to be effective in combating COVID-19 and other SARS-like viruses.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers at the Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF) observed that when this molecule was injected intravenously or intramuscularly, it could cross the blood-brain barrier and reach brain receptors. This barrier is a tightly packed layer of cells that protects the brain from harmful substances.<\/p>\n<p>In two separate tests on mice, scientists found that the nanobodies improved cognitive impairments. A single injection led to noticeable improvements in cognitive functions and these effects lasted for up to a week.<\/p>\n<p>The next step involves clinical trials to determine whether these findings could offer a new approach for treating Schizophrenia in humans.<\/p>\n<p>How does Schizophrenia develop?<\/p>\n<p>Schizophrenia is a chronic disease with no known exact cause. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the development of the condition. It is difficult to measure how often Schizophrenia occurs precisely.<\/p>\n<p>Although it can appear at any age, Schizophrenia is typically diagnosed between the ages of 16 and 30. Symptoms vary from person to person.<\/p>\n<p>While there is no definitive cure, Schizophrenia can be managed with antipsychotic medications, therapy and personal coping strategies, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).<\/p>\n<p>The authors of this study aim to integrate this new nanobody-based method into existing treatment strategies.<\/p>\n<p>                    <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/JN9LXf.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n                    The Daily Sabah Newsletter\n                <\/p>\n<p>\n                    Keep up to date with what\u2019s happening in Turkey,<br \/>\n                    it\u2019s region and the world.\n                <\/p>\n<p>                    SIGN ME UP\n                <\/p>\n<p>\n                    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.<br \/>\n                    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.\n                <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thanks to llama antibodies, French researchers have successfully reduced the symptoms of schizophrenia. This breakthrough, which involves crossing&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30015,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[64,63,137,1623,28508,28507,28510,514,4015,28509],"class_list":{"0":"post-30014","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-immune-system","12":"tag-llama-antibodies","13":"tag-llamas","14":"tag-mental-disorders","15":"tag-mental-health","16":"tag-schizophrenia","17":"tag-schizophrenia-treatment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30014"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30014\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}