affinity maturation

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Affinity Maturation

The increased average affinity of antibodies to an antigen, which follows immunisation. Affinity maturation results from an increase of specific and more homogeneous IgG antibodies, and follows a less specific and more heterogeneous early response by IgM molecules.

affinity maturation

The mechanism during an immune response that produces antibodies with a strong ability to bind to a foreign antigen over time. Affinity maturation is produced by changes in the genes that encode immunoglobulin G (IgG) and by increased survival of those B lymphocytes that produce antibodies with the greatest ability to destroy a particular antigen. Increased affinity occurs only when B-cell activation is stimulated by helper T cells.

affinity

1. attraction; a tendency to seek out or unite with another object or substance.

2. in chemistry, the tendency of two substances to form strong or weak chemical bonds forming molecules or complexes.

3. in immunology, the thermodynamic bond strength of an antigen-antibody complex.

antibody affinity

the strength of the binding interaction between antigen and antibody.

drug affinity

the attraction of a particular class of receptor to a drug, at a level sufficient to give an observable reaction. Such a drug is an agonist.

affinity maturation

the increased affinity of antibody for an antigen which occurs during the course of an immune response.

Mentioned in ?

affinity

References in periodicals archive ?

Because the recombinant IgE and IgG4 antibodies exhibit identical affinities due to their identical scFv moieties, the set of antibodies may mimic the circulating antibodies after affinity maturation of IgG antibodies that may occur after SIT.

Generation of human monoclonal allergen-specific IgE and IgG antibodies from synthetic antibody libraries

AxioMx noted that it had received orders for more than USD 750,000 for custom services including antigen design, antibody discovery and development, and affinity maturation of existing antibodies during the last nine months.