Microbiology
Llama Antibodies May Help Prevent Dandruff
By Nikhil, Journals Correspondent
Jan 16, 2005, 13:25

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.

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