Publication: The “early birds”: natural IgM
antibodies and immune surveillance
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
Precancerous epithelial lesions are sites of
uncontrolled cellular proliferation generated by
irreversible genetic alterations. Not all of those lesions
progress to invasive cancer, some may even regress, but
the early detection of abnormal cells can be crucial for
patient survival. Immune surveillance mechanisms are
responsible for the removal of transformed cells and
antibodies play an important role in these immune
processes. In the past, analysis of the immunoglobuline
repertoire has focused mainly on xenoimmunizations or
the investigation of cancer patient immunity. The human
hybridoma technology (Trioma technique) offers the
unique possibility to study the humoral immunity of
healthy people. Using this technique a series of tumorbinding
antibodies could be isolated which all have
several features in common: they are germ-line coded
IgM antibodies, they predominantly bind to
carbohydrates on post-transcriptionally modified
antigens, they induce apoptosis and, most importantly,
they detect not only malignant cells but also precursor
stages. These data demonstrate that the body has a
comprehensive defense system against malignant cells
based on the production of natural antibodies.
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