Antigen
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Antigen
An antigen is a substance (such as part of a virus or bacteria) that triggers the immune system to produce cells (antibodies) that attack and try to destroy the antigen. The body usually produces one specific type of antibody for each antigen.
Sometimes the body mistakenly recognizes its own tissue as an antigen or foreign substance and produces antibodies against its own tissue. This is called an autoimmune response or autoimmune disease.
Credits
| Author | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease |
| Last Updated | June 12, 2008 |
| Last updated: | June 12, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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