Related Concept Videos

Complement System01:27

Complement System

The complement system is a group of approximately 20 plasma proteins that strengthen the body's defenses against infections through opsonization, inflammation, and cell lysis. Opsonization involves coating pathogens with complement proteins, making them more recognizable and facilitating phagocyte engulfment. Certain complement proteins induce inflammation that attracts immune cells to the site of infection. Cell lysis involves the destruction of pathogens through the formation of a membrane...
Antibody Actions01:26

Antibody Actions

Antibodies, or immunoglobulins, are critical players in the immune system's arsenal against invading pathogens. Produced by B cells and plasma cells, their primary role is to detect and bind to specific antigens, molecules found on the surface of pathogens like bacteria or viruses. Beyond antigen recognition, antibodies perform several vital functions that contribute to immune defense.
Neutralization
Antibodies can bind to pathogens, preventing them from infecting host cells. This process...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Humoral Immune Responses01:36

Humoral Immune Responses

Overview
Hybridoma Technology01:31

Hybridoma Technology

Hybridoma technology is used for the large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies bind to only a single antigenic determinant or epitope. Such antibodies are used in research, diagnostics, and disease therapy. The hybridoma technology established in 1975 by Georges Köhler and Cesar Milstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1984 for revolutionizing research and therapy.
Hybridoma Selection
Commonly used fusion techniques — electroporation, polyethylene glycol...
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions01:01

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions

Type II hypersensitivity involves IgG and IgM antibodies targeting cell surface antigens, leading to cell destruction. This can occur through complement activation, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), or acting as opsonins for phagocytosis. When excessive, these reactions cause significant tissue damage.Drug-induced hemolytic anemia is a common example, where drugs like penicillin or cephalosporins bind to red blood cells, forming drug-protein complexes. These complexes...