Antibodies and Immunity – how do they relate to one another?

Professor Sarah Walker, Professor Jeremy Farrar and Sarah Crofts explain more about antibodies and how our immune system protects us from infection:

Antibody Essentials Part 1: Antibody Basics

An antibody is a complex protein made by a particular class of immune cells called B-cells during the adaptive immune response. The adaptive immune system, which originated in jawed fishes and is present in all higher vertebrates, confers a form of molecular memory that is both highly specific and incredibly diverse in its ability to recognize molecules from foreign sources including pathogens.

Antibody Essentials Part 2: Antibody Diversity and Classification

Here we’ll take a look at the biological mechanisms that allow for the incredible functional diversity of antibodies and consider the various ways that antibodies can be classified.

Antibody Essentials Part 3: How Antibody Technologies Evolved

The road leading to the discovery of antibodies and their use as essential research reagents began in the early 18th century with the first smallpox inoculation studies. By transferring material from the sores of human smallpox patients into scratches made in the skin of healthy individuals, it was shown to be possible to protect against future smallpox infection. Importantly, these experiments provided some of the very earliest insights into the mechanisms underlying immunity.

Corralling and Cornering the Goldilocks Antibody

Antibodies are one of the most commonly used research tools in scientists’ pockets. They allow researchers to identify and isolate very specific biological targets.

New Evidence Points To Antibodies As A Reliable Indicator Of Vaccine Protection

While more studies are needed to confirm the findings, discovering that these markers correlate with immune protection has implications for future COVID-19 vaccine research. It means that researchers now can measure whether a new COVID-19 vaccine might work — without necessarily having to repeat large-scale efficacy studies.

Show Your Immune System Some Love

Antibodies are great and all, but macrophages, B cells, and helper T cells deserve some attention too.

The Latest on Kids’ Antibodies

A new study might shed light on why children experience the virus differently.

The Race for a Super-Antibody Against the Coronavirus

A network of scientists is chasing the pandemic’s holy grail: an antibody that protects against not just the virus, but also related pathogens that may threaten humans.

What are antibodies?

Antibodies are specialized, Y-shaped proteins that bind like a lock-and-key to the body's foreign invaders — whether they are viruses(opens in new tab), bacteria, fungi or parasites. They are the "search" battalion of the immune system's search-and-destroy system, tasked with finding an enemy and marking it for destruction.