Antigen meaning
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Understanding Antigens: Definition and Immune Response
What is an Antigen?
An antigen is a molecule that is recognized by the immune system, particularly by antibodies. These molecules can be proteins, polysaccharides, pesticides, antibiotics, toxins, and hormones, among others4. However, not all antigens can stimulate the immune system to generate antibodies. Those that can elicit an immune response, particularly antibody synthesis, are called immunogens4.
Antigenicity and Immune Response
The term "antigenicity" refers to the capacity of a substance to react specifically with the effectors of the immune response, such as antibodies or antigen-reactive cells1. For a substance to induce an immune response, it must be perceived as foreign by the immune system of the organism. This perception of "foreignness" is a fundamental concept in immunology1. The immune system typically does not produce antibodies against the body's own substances, a phenomenon known as self-tolerance1.
Protective Antigens and Vaccine Development
Protective antigens are specific types of antigens that can invoke a strong adaptive immune response upon subsequent exposure to the same pathogen or related organisms. These antigens are crucial in vaccine development and drug design2. Modern techniques like Reverse Vaccinology use computational methods to predict protective antigens or their determinants, known as epitopes, which are the specific parts of an antigen that antibodies or T-cell receptors recognize and bind to2.
Antigen-Antibody Interaction
The interaction between an antigen and an antibody is highly specific. An antibody is a Y-shaped protein that binds to a specific part of the antigen called an epitope. Epitopes are usually located on the hydrophilic part of the antigen and can be either linear or discontinuous yet spatially close on the protein chain4. This binding is a reversible bimolecular reaction influenced by factors such as the concentration of the antigen and antibody, affinity, temperature, and pH4.
Conclusion
In summary, antigens are molecules recognized by the immune system, and their ability to provoke an immune response is termed antigenicity. Protective antigens play a vital role in vaccine development, and the specific interaction between antigens and antibodies is fundamental to immunoassays and other biochemical methods. Understanding these concepts is crucial for advancements in immunology and therapeutic interventions.
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Chapter 3 – Antigens
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Our novel computational model, Antigenic, effectively predicts protective antigens from protein sequences, improving vaccine preparation and drug design.
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Virus-like antigen, antibody, and antigen-antibody complexes in hepatitis measured by complement fixation.
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