Antibodies. Why so popular all of a sudden?

Antibodies. This was a word that was unfamiliar to many. In fact, the only people who truly understood their significance were people in the medical and scientific fields.

However, now more than ever the word antibody has become a savior. Turn on the news in March, April, or May of 2020, and one can hear the word antibody being used with a sense of promise. A sense of hope, even. The reason? Well, COVID-19. Antibodies were a role player in the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, now more than ever the word antibody has become a savior.

So let's start with the basics. What is an antibody? To put it in literal terms, an antibody is a polypeptide protein that is produced by the immune system as a response to an antigen. An antigen is just a foreign substance like a virus, toxin (like venom), or even allergens (allergies). To put in simpler terms, imagine a country. When terrorists or foreigners attack the country, the country’s government will deploy the army. The army will in turn fight off the attackers.

- The country represents: the body

- The terrorists represent: the antigens

- The army represents: the antibodies

- The government represents: the immune system

How antibodies work inside the body:

Let’s delve a bit more into detail. The action begins when an antigen enters the body and attaches itself to an antigen receptor on a B-cell. A B-cell is a type of white blood cell, also known as a lymphocyte. Each B-cell is unique since almost every B-cell has a different kind of antigen receptor, which attaches to different antigens. Once the antigen attaches itself to the B-cell, the B-cell replicates itself and the mature B-cells start to produce antibodies. The antibodies will then attach themselves to the antigens. How do the antibodies defeat the antigens? Well, there are different ways. Here are just a few:

Antitoxins: antibodies that neutralize poison/toxins
Antibodies can also immobilize some antigens
Antibodies change the chemical structure of antigens
Lastly, the antibodies perform lysis on the antigens (kind of where the antigens blow up)

Basic structure of antibodies:

The structure of an antibody is very easy to remember as long as you keep in mind the letter Y. Yes, the antibodies are shaped like Y’s. The top part of the Y is where the antibody binds to the antigens. The entire Y is made up of proteins.

5 main type of Antibodies:

Before going on to understand the uses of antibodies in the laboratory, we have to understand that there are 5 different types of antibodies.

Note: Ig stands for immunoglobulin (An antibody is also known as immunoglobulin)

IgA - Performs immune functions for mucous membranes.
IgG - This is the most common type of antibody and is found throughout the blood and tissues.
IgM - This is the biggest antibody, and it’s the first to respond to antigens.
IgD - Signals B-cells when they need to be activated.
IgE - This is the antibody that activates when your body is attacked by allergens (allergies), or infections.

What’s the big deal with antibodies anyway?

As mentioned earlier, antibodies have become a buzzword in recent months. COVID-19 research has broken down the basic structure of the virus, and scientists are finding ways to test for the virus. One of the main ways testing is being carried out is through antibody testing. This means that the person who takes the test for COVID-19 is being tested for antibodies (specifically, IgG and IgM). The antibodies are like proof that the person was in contact with the virus beforehand, or is currently in contact with the virus. Positive means antibodies are present, while negative means the antibodies are not present. This method works since antibodies produced by the B-cells usually stay for a few months, allowing immunity.

Antibodies are even more useful for biotechnology purposes:

For example, antibodies can be used to target certain proteins and antigens through a process known as immunoprecipitation. Using certain materials like agarose, the antigen and antibody complexes can be separated from the whole cell. Other techniques include ELISA and Western Blotting.

So…… what is the future of antibodies? Well, there’s a lot yet to come. Antibodies have increased in frequency in the drug markets and they’re making appearances everywhere. For our healthcare system, antibodies may be a huge step forward. In fact, many private

companies like Epigenetek, BioRad, and Thermo Fisher are doing antibody research and finding more uses in healthcare. Antibodies are even being used to make vaccines, as pharmaceutical companies are racing to find a SARS-COV-2 vaccine. The sheer amount of new technologies arising with antibodies are astounding.

What does this mean for our community and young people?

Biotechnology is never a one way road; there are so many possibilities to explore. Antibodies will surely become a prominent topic in this generation and beyond. It wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for this intriguing protein!