Llama Antibodies May Help Prevent Dandruff

Main Category: Dermatology
Article Date: 15 Jan 2005 - 9:00 PDT

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The addition of llama antibodies to shampoo could be a new strategy for fighting dandruff, say European researchers. Their findings appear in the January 2005 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Malassezia furfur, a fungus frequently found on the human scalp, is often associated with the formation of dandruff. Current methods of treatment consist of shampoos containing antifungal compounds.

In the study researchers immunized a llama with M. furfur three times over a period of five weeks. They then screened blood samples and found antibodies that targeted a specific protein on the surface of the organism even in the harsh chemical conditions of shampoo.

"Here we describe a novel approach for preventing the formation of dandruff by inhibition of M. furfur with antibodies," say the researchers.

(E. Dolk, M. van der Vaart, D.L. Hulsik, G. Vriend, H. de Haard, S. Spinelli, C. Cambillau, L. Frenken, T. Verrips. 2004. Isolation of llama antibody fragments for prevention of dandruff by phage display in shampoo. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71. 1: 442-450.)

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Contact: Jim Sliwa

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American Society for Microbiology

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