8 Interesting Facts About Antibodies You Need To Know

Do you wonder how your body protects you against infections and diseases and builds up your immunity? Given that your body is exposed to all kinds of bacterias every day, it is pretty apparent to question how it does so. Well, it can be attributed to the antibodies, which also can be called the soldiers of your body.

The mechanisms used by the antibodies to tackle harmful bodies are pretty complex procedures. But to get a basic idea of the structure and functioning of antibodies, keep reading to learn eight interesting facts about bacteria.

Eight facts that you must know about antibodies:

Antibodies are proteins:

Antibodies are glycoproteins or proteins comprising a sugar, and they are secreted by some special cells called the “Antibody Secreting Cells” (ACSs). These cells typically belong to the B-lymphocyte group. Antibodies are also called immunoglobulins or B-receptors.

B-cells do not directly secrete antibodies. The B-cells cells differentiate into plasma cells that secrete the antibodies. There are two types of immunity, innate immunity, present since birth, and adaptive immunity, which a person acquires through life. The antibodies play a significant role in the functioning of adaptive immunity.

Antibodies can recognize and latch on to foreign particles or antigens entering your body to mark them for a path of destruction. An antibody is naturally present in our bodies as part of the immune system, but it has also become possible to design a Custom Antibody with modern technologies.

An antibody is a Y-shaped molecule:

Antibodies are Y-shaped molecules with two arms on the top that help bind to the antigen. The stalk or the bottom of the Y-shaped configuration binds to the other immune system compounds, which facilitates the destruction of an antigen. There could be multiple Y-shaped units in an antibody. It differs according to the types of antibodies.

Antibodies have five classifications:

There are five classifications of antibodies or immunoglobulins that are secreted by your body. They are divided according to the heavy chain constant regions. They are:

IgG

It is the most significant out of all and is around 75 percent of the total serum antibodies. It provides the most protection against bacterial and viral infections and is distributed in the blood and tissues.

IgM

It comprises five antibody units or Y-shaped arms. It is part of the initial response as it is secreted first in case of an infection. IgM is distributed in the blood.

IgA

It is made of two Y-shaped antibody units and is secreted in the mucous present in several openings. E.g., in saliva, nasal mucus, and even breast milk. This antibody present in breastmilk protects the baby.

IgE

IgE is secreted during infections induced by parasites or during an allergic response. They are found only in the cells of mammals.

IgD

The IgD type performs no specific function. It is present on the B- cell surface and facilitates antibody production.

Antibodies are released through a chain of reactions:

The adaptive response is initiated when a T helper cell and a B-cell encounter and bind to an antigen. The T helper cell signals the B-cell, which then starts dividing into several clones of itself. Some cloned cells transform into antibody-secreting cells or plasma cells, while others mature as memory B cells.

These plasma cells secrete antibodies which help in marking antigens for destruction. The response altogether can take multiple weeks to attain full potency. Memory B ensures a speedy counterattack when a similar invasion of antigens occurs again.

Antibodies bind with antigens in a lock and key mechanism:

Antibodies have a specific region called paratope in their structure which binds to a unique region on the antigen surface called the epitope. The paratope and epitope fit together like a lock and key. Hence this is also known as the lock and key mechanism.

Once the binding occurs, the bacteria either neutralizes the antigen or is marked for other immune system components to act upon.

There is something called the ‘Monoclonal antibody”:

Monoclonal antibodies are artificial proteins, or, in other words, antibodies made in the lab that can perform similar functions as that of the antibodies present in the body. Monoclonal antibodies are widely designed to target specific antigens, e.g., to treat cancer.

Monoclonal antibody treatments for cancer have two approaches. Targeted therapy is where these antibodies directly help to treat cancer by attaching and killing the cancer cells. Secondly, there’s immunotherapy, where the antibody only aids in enhancing the functioning of the immune system against diseases or infections.

Antibodies can be engineered:

Antibodies are engineered to obtain certain modifications. Molecular engineers use special techniques to alter the structure of the antibody to modify the genes. These modifications help provide certain unique features to the antibodies like more affinity to antigens, longer life, ease of manufacture, etc.

Humans are capable of producing around 10^18, or a quintillion of distinct antibodies:

A study conducted on billions of distinguished antibody-producing cells sampled from human volunteers has indicated the possibility of the human body’s capability to generate around a quintillion of antibodies, all distinct.

Takeaway

Antibodies present in our bodies protect us every day against toxins and pathogens to ensure the well-being and proper functioning of our bodies. Now that you know how antibodies work, it must make a lot of sense why they are claimed to be one of the most significant components in our immune system.

With the realization of its importance in building a defense system, more and more antibody-based therapies are becoming prevalent. These therapies have had some groundbreaking success in treating severe disorders like cancer and have a promising future in modern medicinal practices.