Ask a doctor - What are the uses of antibodies?

Q. What are the uses of antibodies?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are proteins produced by white blood cells in response to infection or foreign substances. They play a critical role in the body's immune system by recognizing and binding to specific antigens such as bacteria, viruses, toxins and other foreign objects.

The main use of antibodies is to protect the body from disease-causing agents. When an invading pathogen enters the body, it will produce a unique antigen which triggers an immune response from B cells (a type of white blood cell). These B cells then produce antibodies that will specifically target and bind to the particular antigen causing the infection. This binds up and neutralizes the pathogen before it can cause serious damage or illness.

In addition to fighting off infectious diseases, antibodies have many important roles throughout the body including mediated immunity (helping T lymphocytes recognize antigens), promoting phagocytosis (engulfing pathogens by macrophages) and stimulating release of cytokines (chemical messengers used for local inflammation). Antibodies also aid in keeping our bodies healthy by preventing allergens from entering our bloodstreams and targeting autoantigens responsible for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Antibodies can be found naturally occurring within humans or animals but they can also be artificially produced through techniques such as recombinant DNA technology or monoclonal antibody production methods which involve producing hundreds of identical versions of a single antibody against an antigen of interest in order to find one with desired properties or functions - these are often used therapeutically for treating certain diseases caused by bacteria/viruses/other sources.. In addition, there are diagnostic products such as ELISA tests that measure the presence/quantity of specific antibodies related to certain illnesses like HIV/AIDS infections - this helps physicians diagnose patients more accurately & quickly than ever before!

All together, understanding how antibodies work can help us better protect ourselves against disease-causing agents while providing new treatment options for those affected. We are just beginning to scratch surface when it comes exploring their therapeutic & diagnostic capabilities; we look forward seeing what else these amazing protective molecules may unlock in medical science & beyond!