Publication: Natural IgM antibodies: from parias to parvenus
Authors
Vollmers, H.P. ; Brändlein, S.
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
Over the years, natural IgM antibodies were
considered as the parias among the immune competent
molecules. Their characteristic properties, like low
affinity, cross-reactivity and pentameric structure, were
assessed as difficult and nebulous. Today, mainly based
on the persistent work of a few researchers and the key
discoveries on innate immunity, natural IgM antibodies
are “back on stage”. Their important role in the immune
response against invasive particles, modified selfcomponents
and altered cells is accepted. All the so far
negatively judged features have to be seen in a different
light, e.g. low affinity seems to be good for function and
does not exclude specificity, cross-reactivity is no longer
judged as unspecific, but instead as a very economic way
of immune recognition and the pentameric structure is
important for binding capacity and functional activities.
In addition, with the use of natural IgM antibodies, a
new field of tumour-specific targets has been
encountered, the carbo-neo-epitopes, which are
commonly found on post-transscriptionally modified
membrane receptors. Having understood the typical
features of natural IgM antibodies, their renaissance
opens a new area of cancer therapeutics and diagnostics.
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