Protein antigens stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and can be exogenous, endogenous, or self-antigens. They are used in medical research, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccinations.
A protein antigen is a protein that can stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and to which the immune system will react if it is identified in the body. Antigens can be made up of a number of compounds, of which protein antigens are among the most common. Numerous protein antigens have been identified by researchers interested in the immune system and the disease process, and the antigens are widely used in medical research, diagnosis, and treatment.
An exogenous protein antigen is a protein produced outside the body by another organism. An example would be a protein produced by a virus that someone ingests. When the immune system sees this protein, it recognizes it as foreign and stimulates the production of antibodies that can attach and attack the antigen. This is one of the body’s lines of defense against disease agents.
Endogenous protein antigens are produced within the body. They are very commonly seen in cell death. Cells in the body can program themselves to produce these antigens so the immune system knows when it’s time to break down a cell and recycle its components. This type of protein antigen can also be used by the immune system to mark infected cells for destruction.
Another type of protein antigen is a self-antigen. Self-antigens are substances normally found in the body and normally understood to be harmless that the body begins to identify as an antigen. Autoantigens are involved in autoimmune disease, where the body starts attacking itself because the immune system’s programming goes awry. In this case, a protein that is actually part of the body is judged to be harmful by the immune system, and the immune system works to eliminate it even though this may cause injury to the body.
Vaccinations can involve the controlled introduction of an antigen, often a protein antigen, into the body to allow it to form antibodies without exposing it to disease risk. Antigens can also be used in tests; if a doctor suspects a patient has a particular virus, for example, a blood sample can be run through an antigen screen to see which antigens it binds to. The identification of antigens can also be important for blood tests conducted to determine if some are resistant to a disease or if someone has been exposed to a disease.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
