autoantibody

[aw-toh-an-ti-bod-ee, -an-tee-]

noun

Immunology.

plural

autoantibodies 

1. an antibody that an organism produces against any of its own tissues, cells, or cell components.

autoantibody

/ ˌɔːtəʊˈæntɪˌbɒdɪ /

noun

1. an antibody reacting with an antigen that is a part of the organism in which the antibody is formed

autoantibody

1. An antibody that reacts with the cells, tissues, or native proteins of the individual in which it is produced. Autoimmune diseases are caused by the presence of autoantibodies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of autoantibody¹

First recorded in 1905–10; auto- ¹ + antibody

Example Sentences

Quadros’s research has found that a specific autoantibody blocks the transport of folate from mother to fetus during pregnancy and when present after birth, the infant’s brain.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Altogether, they and Barcelona colleague Francesc Graus have uncovered 11 of the 18 known varieties: a rogue’s gallery with sharply different symptoms depending on the autoantibody responsible.

Read more on Science Magazine

In adapting the technique to treat autoimmune disease, the team gave T cells a beacon derived from bits of the anti-DSG3 autoantibody, which leads the killers straight to anti-DSG3 B cells.

Read more on Scientific American

These cells are the actual agents of destruction, so scientists investigating autoimmunity look for these T cell–autoantibody pairs.

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“We really see broadly reactive autoantibody responses in these patients,” Dr. Iwasaki said.

Read more on New York Times