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antigen Definition

anti·gen (antə jən, -jen′)

noun

a protein, toxin, or other substance of high molecular weight, to which the body reacts by producing antibodies

Etymology: anti- + -gen

antigen Related Forms
an′ti·genic (-jenik) adjective
antigen Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • encode: In the germline DNA, the V genes encoding the antigen combining sites need to combine with the C genes.
  • purify: From there, we purify the antigens in an additional one to two weeks to create the vaccine.
  • recognize: However, T cells do not recognize many tumor antigens directly on the cells.

Preposition: in

  • serum: Cancer biomarker laboratory Laboratory tests for unusual protein antigens in serum and urine are used clinically in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring cancer.

Adjective modifier

  • prostate-specific: Let's start with PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, a protein that is the primary marker of the cancer.
  • carcinoembryonic: It contains the cancer antigen carcinoembryonic antigen, which is present on most colorectal cancers.
  • 5t4: All 25 patients mounted immune responses to the 5T4 tumor antigen The tumor response rate was better than expected.
  • tumour-associated: Jacobs I, Bast RC: The CA 125 tumour-associated antigen: a review of the literature.
  • oncofoetal: One example is the 5T4 oncofoetal antigen originally defined by a monoclonal antibody raised against human trophoblast.
  • mycobacterial: The first event seems to be binding of BCG to urothelial cells via fibronectin, and processing of mycobacterial antigens by antigen-presenting cells.

Modifies a noun

  • receptor: Floating the raft hypothesis: the roles of lipid rafts in B cell antigen receptor function.
  • specificity: Whilst not showing antigen specificity, they clearly exhibit some degree of selectivity in targeting " abnormal " cells for lysis.
  • detection: In addition, commercial antigen detection testing can be conducted under BSL 2 levels to test for influenza.
  • presentation: The class I and II MHC proteins also perform the important function of antigen presentation.

Noun used with modifier

  • leukocyte: HLA - human leukocyte antigens; a genetic tissue marker.
  • leucocyte: That's feline leucocyte antigen - which is part of the immune system which determines how a cat can handle a particular disease organism.
  • histocompatibility: Three major histocompatibility antigens are encoded on each copy of chromosome 6, but they are inherited as a group.
  • tumor: Research is ongoing to find the ideal vector for the tumor antigen encoding gene.
  • peptide: These cells are specially designed to present peptide antigens derived from such digested particles.
  • tumor: For example, several novel tumor therapies are based on the concept of inducing T-cell responses that are specific for tumor antigens.