self-antigen

Or self an·ti·gen

[self-an-ti-juhn, -jen]

noun

Immunology.

1. autoantigen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-antigen¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

“Basically, you need three ingredients: self-antigen, an inflammatory environment and autoimmune predisposition,” he says.

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Researchers have long suspected that a self-antigen—a normal molecule in the body that the immune system mistakenly treats as a threat—can trigger MS.

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Now, researchers may have pinpointed a long-sought molecule called a self-antigen that provokes these attacks, pointing a way toward potential new treatments.

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PSA is a self-antigen: it is made by healthy, as well as cancerous, prostate tissue.

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Researchers have discovered additional targets for treating prostate cancer, and some believe that the immune system may be able to mount a better response to vaccines that target an antigen that is unique to the tumour, rather than a self-antigen such as PSA — or to one that targets multiple antigens.

Read more on Nature