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Cross-reactivity

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Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.

Antibody Structure

Antibody Structure

Overview
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...

Vaccinations

Vaccinations

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...

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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

A High Throughput MHC II Binding Assay for Quantitative Analysis of Peptide Epitopes

A High Throughput MHC II Binding Assay for Quantitative Analysis of Peptide Epitopes

Published on: March 25, 2014

T cell epitope-based allergy vaccines.

¹Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, HSC 4H20, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada. larche@mcmaster.ca

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology

|May 14, 2011

Summary

Specific immunotherapy using intact allergens causes side effects. Peptide immunotherapy, targeting T cells with synthetic allergen epitopes, offers a safer approach to modulate immune responses for allergies like cat or bee venom allergies.

Area of Science:

Immunology
Allergology
Pharmacology

Background:

Specific immunotherapy (SIT) with intact allergen molecules is effective but causes adverse events due to allergic sensitization.
Current SIT requires dose escalation and long-term maintenance, limiting treatment speed and safety.
Reducing allergenicity while preserving immunogenicity is crucial for safer and faster allergy treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

To review clinical and mechanistic studies of peptide immunotherapy for allergies.
To evaluate strategies for reducing allergenicity while maintaining immunogenicity.
To explore T cell-targeted peptide immunotherapy as an alternative to conventional SIT.

Main Methods:

Review of clinical and mechanistic studies on peptide immunotherapy.

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A High Throughput MHC II Binding Assay for Quantitative Analysis of Peptide Epitopes

A High Throughput MHC II Binding Assay for Quantitative Analysis of Peptide Epitopes

Published on: March 25, 2014

Peptide:MHC Tetramer-based Enrichment of Epitope-specific T cells

Peptide:MHC Tetramer-based Enrichment of Epitope-specific T cells

Published on: October 22, 2012

Focus on short, synthetic peptides representing immunodominant T cell epitopes.

Evaluation of approaches targeting T cells for allergy modulation.

Main Results:

Peptide immunotherapy targets T cells specifically, avoiding IgE cross-linking and effector cell activation.
Studies reviewed demonstrate the modulation of allergen-specific T cell responses.
Clinical evaluations have focused on T cell-targeting peptide immunotherapy.

Conclusions:

Peptide immunotherapy shows promise for reducing adverse events associated with traditional SIT.
Targeting T cell epitopes with synthetic peptides offers a potentially safer and more efficient allergy treatment strategy.
Further research into peptide immunotherapy for cat and bee venom allergies is warranted.