Monoclonal antibodies

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is not something that many people have dealt with or even heard of for that matter. According to the CDC, there is somewhere between 3,000-6,000 cases of GBS per year in the United States. That amounts to 1-2 people out of 100,000 per year (CDC, 2009). For me, Guillain-Barré syndrome is something that I have known about since I was eight years old. Not only was I aware that it existed, I thought it was going to take my dad away from me.…

Anaphylactic disorder is one of the end result of immediate (Type I) hypersensitivity reaction. It starts when antigen (bee sting as in the patient’s case) binds to IgE antibody on the surface of mast cells that result of systemic release of vasoactive amines and other mediators from mast cells. The presence of IgE antibody indicate that this is not the first exposure to this antigen. The mast cells have a specific receptor for the Fc portion of IgE called FceRI (a high-affinity receptor). When…

cross-reactivity between a pair of correlating antigens actually exists. We needed ragweed antibodies for our lab tests so we purchased several vials of ragweed antigen and used one of these to produce rabbit antibodies at a collaborating lab. Rabbits are commonly used as a source of antibodies for lab tests because they can make the specific antibodies in high volumes of concentration that scientists need. To fulfill our antibody order, three rabbits were…

When I think of the body’s immune system, I think of the video game Pac-Man. Pac-Man gobbles up all the little dots in his way, our body works hard to gobble up germs in its way, much the same as Pac-Man. There are also enemies that try to attack Pac-Man and attempt to make him lose a life, in the same way, our body has to defend against viruses that try to attack it. In the game, you are successful if you are able to keep Pac-Man alive by gobbling up everything in its path before they attack…

85% in SLE diagnosis. Accordingly, person is classified to have SLE based on the presence of a proven lupus nephritis with biopsy and positive anti-dsDNA or ANA antibodies have been satisfied.…

The first thing that happens when the influenza virus infects the host cell, is initiating innate immunity. Innate immunity involves phagocytes binding to the pathogen using its pattern recognition receptors, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs), which binds to the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are present on pathogen. After binding to its cell surface, it starts ingesting the pathogen using either phagocytosis or macropinocytosis, and destructs the pathogen either by…

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a small secreted adipokine that binds and transports small hydrophobic molecules such as fatty acids and steroids. In addition, LCN2 limits bacterial growth by sequestering iron-containing siderophores. In mammalian liver, LCN2 protects against inflammation, infection, injury and other forms of cellular stress. Because previous work indicated that LCN2 is a key modulator of hepatic fat metabolism and homeostasis, we performed a comparative profiling of the proteins and…

The etiology and pathogenesis of RA are complex and multifaceted. A range of predetermined (genes) and stochastic (random events and environment) factors contribute to susceptibility and pathogenesis.(kelly). The initiation of RA probably begins years before the onset of clinical symptoms. This process involves certain specific genes that can help break tolerance and lead to autoreactivity. It is likely that the earliest phases are marked by repeated activation of innate immunity Cigarette smoke…

molecules of antibodies and BCR. This is one way of distinguishing between the two types of cell (Eales, 1999). Even though they both specifically recognise foreign molecules such as microorganisms and destroy them, also known as a specific immune response,…

Lymphatic System’s Role in Immunity The human body has built in defense mechanisms to aid against foreign substances, pathogens, toxins and diseases. The type of immunity used by the body depends on the type of pathogen and whether that pathogen has already entered the body. In cases where the pathogen is inside the body, an internal defense is used to aid in fighting the pathogen. The body may start running a fever or start inflammation to rid itself of the pathogen. In cases where the…