Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

Immunoglobulin Open Access Journals

An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein formed primarily by plasma cells, which is used by the immune system to neutralize pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a specific pathogen molecule, called an antigen, through the variable region of the fragment antigen-binding (Fab). Each tip of an antibody's "Y" contains a paratope (analogous to a lock) specific to one particular epitope (analogous to a key) on an antigen, allowing these two structures to bind precisely together. Using this binding mechanism, an antibody can tag a microbe or infected cell for attack by other parts of the immune system, or can directly neutralize its target (e.g. by inhibiting a part of a microbe that is necessary for its invasion and survival). The binding may hinder the biological process that causes the disease, or may trigger macrophages to kill the foreign substance. 

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