epitope

American

[ep-i-tohp] / ˈɛp ɪˌtoʊp /

noun

Immunology.

determinant.

epitope British

/ ˈɛpɪˌtəʊp /

noun

the site on an antigen at which a specific antibody becomes attached

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of epitope

epi- + -tope, from Greek tópos “place”; cf. topo-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In fact, the study showed tumors with a mutated version of the epitope of Fas receptors will not respond to CAR T at all.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2023

The word "epitope" means the substance that the immune system recognizes and protects against.

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2022

The variable domains from the heavy and light chains interact to form the binding site through which an antibody can bind a specific epitope on an antigen.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

This mAb, derived from B cells of a patient who recovered from SARS-1 in 2003, targets an epitope on the S protein that is conserved in the sarbecovirus family.

From Scientific American • Jan. 6, 2022

B cells respond most strongly when each arm attaches to a different epitope.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 15, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023