Question

why do viruses stimulate antibody production? how are viral infections normally eliminated in the body? what do virus infected cells and cancer cells have in common, related to the type of immune response and its long-term effectiveness

Answer 1

The viruses are foreign pathogen and hence helps in triggering increasing the production of antibody as immune response. The production of antibody is very important for neutralization and elimination of the virus from the body. The virus consists of certain antigenic epitopes and as the antibody recognize these epitopes, and hence activates the antibody. Through this process, it helps in blocking the viral infection through process of neutralization. When the virus is neutralized by the antibody, it prevents the virus from infecting the host cell. Depending on which location of the body the viral infection takes place, the antibodies are activated accordingly. When the virus infect the mucosal surface, it mostly activates the IgA antibodies and when it enters the blood circulation, it activates the IgG and IgM antibodies.

The next way the antibodies can work together to remove the virus particle is through agglutination. The antibodies work together, and this leads to the viral particles sticking together through the process of agglutination. They is more likely chance that is recognized the cells of immune system and destroyed. The third way the antibody is able to eliminate the virus is through macrophages and activation of phagocytosis. In this antibody binds to Fc receptors on phagocytotic cells and initiates phagocytes leading the engulfment and destruction of these viral particle.

When it comes to the long term effectiveness, it is found that the cells which are virus infected and cancer cells tend to undergo quick mutation leading to quick change. Hence due to the mutation the immune system might fail recognizing the same.