PMID: 6984209Jul 1, 1982Paper

Nonspecific natural cytotoxicity as an active participant in the ensemble of the means of immune defense

Revista de igienă, bacteriologie, virusologie, parazitologie, epidemiologie, pneumoftiziologie. Bacteriologia, virusologia, parazitologia, epidemiologia
A Olinescu

Abstract

The organism of mammals, the most evolved animals phylogenetically possess complex mechanisms of immune defence. The effectors of these mechanisms can be grouped according to the way in which they recognize structures non self to the organism, into two large categories: (a) that attack the antigen regardless of its antigenic nature, therefore unspecific, and (b) that attacks and destroys the antigen selectively, i.e. specifically. According to the way in which and the distance at which foreign elements are recognized, the defence means act (a) by humoral mediated (at a distance through antibodies), and (b) by cellular mediation (by direct contact between the effector cells and the target). Until recently, the humoral mediated defence (formation of antigen-antibody complex, complement activation, etc.) or some forms of cell mediated defence (cytotoxicity exercised by T cytotoxic cells or K killer cells) were considered as the major, dominant elements of protection of the organism. Another defence component has recently been identified, that acts unspecifically by direct contact with the target cell and which, in contrast to what was known up to date, manifests its function even if the organism has never before come in contact wi...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity

Antibody-dependent cellular toxicity refers to the lysis of a target cell by a non-sensitized effector cell of the immune system as a result of antibodies binding to the target cell membrane and engaging the Fc receptors on the immune effector cells. Find the latest research on antibody-dependent cellular toxicity here.

Cancer Biology: Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging enables noninvasive imaging of key molecules that are crucial to tumor biology. Discover the latest research in molecular imaging in cancer biology in this feed.