anti-idiotype

noun an·ti-id·io·type \ ˌan-tē-ˈi-dē-ə-ˌtīp , ˌan-tī- \

Definition of anti-idiotype

: an antibody that binds to the antigen-combining site of another antibody either suppressing or enhancing the immune response

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play \-ˌi-dē-ə-ˈti-pik\ adjective

1973

in the meaning defined above

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noun an·ti-id·io·type \ ˌan-tī-ˈid-ē-ə-ˌtīp \

: an antibody that binds to the antigen combining site of another antibody either suppressing or enhancing the immune response

Anti-idiotypes are secondary antibodies manufactured by the immune system in reaction to the presence of antibodies, the body's basic germ fighters.
—Craig D. Rose, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 1988

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or anti-idiotypic play \-ˌid-ē-ə-ˈtip-ik\ adjective

- Recent studies … indicate, however, that other cancer cells expressing a different idiotype can emerge during anti-idiotype treatment.
- —Ronald C. Kennedy et al., Scientific American, July 1986
- Anti-idiotypic antibodies that bind to the idiotype marker (antigen-binding site) on B cells, may also suppress autoantibody production.
- —Jacqueline Parkin and Bryony Cohen, The Lancet, 2 June 2001