Biotechnology: Antibodies & their role in Therapeutics

Immune system is the body's own army that fights against the invading pathogens and toxins. You can compare it to a nation's defense forces. The army, the air force and the navy all work for the nation's defense.

Similarly, the immune system works for the body's defense. Everywhere around us, there are dangerous bacteria, viruses, parasites and toxins that can attack and harm our body. But our immune system defends us from these pathogens.

Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are one of the crucial warriors produced by our immune system to fight off these nasty invading pathogens. In absence of antibodies, these pathogens can attack our nerve cells, kidney cells, heart cells and other vital parts of the body. Once attacked by these nasty pathogens, the cells stop functioning, which in turn, may lead to serious illness.

But when antibodies come into action, everything changes. They bind to the invading pathogens and prevent them from attacking our body cells. So what do these antibodies look like, what is their structure and how do they fight off such dangerous pathogens.