Immunization in dromedaries: a review

Abstract

The camel is an animal that has always been raised for its meat, milk, wool and hair, its role in transport and work, and even its bones can be used for crafts or its feces for fuel. It is a grateful and economical animal to breed, which can take and advantage of food that other animals are not capable of, showing an amazing resistance to stress, diseases and inclemencies. Therefore, thanks to the advancement of biotechnology and medicine, they are currently under study due to all their immune potential, since the protective mechanisms of these, both cellular and non-cellular components, have a series of peculiarities for their functions, propierties and phenotypes that make them extraordinary. Thus, the most striking aspects of the immune system of these animals are the high rate of somatic mutation in lymphocytic cells, the wide variety of immune response genes, unique peculiarities in their mucosal immunity such as the absence of lymphoid nodules along the intestinal tract, which is consequent to an unparalleled development of mucosal immunity, and nanoantibodies, which are proteins that as conventional antibodies are intended for the detection and neutralization of antigens, but with an advantage in their size, that is ten times smaller than regular antibodies, thus providing them with virtues that unequivocally allow betting on the study of these with the aim of creating new effective vaccines, biomarkers for diseases or improving the genetic selection of animals.