immune response

noun

Definition of immune response

: a bodily response to an antigen that occurs when lymphocytes identify the antigenic molecule as foreign and induce the formation of antibodies and lymphocytes capable of reacting with it and rendering it harmless

— called also immune reaction

Examples of immune response in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There were already hints that aberrant maternal immune responses might trigger early labor. — Jennifer Couzin-frankel, Science | AAAS, "Could out-of-whack fetal immune systems prompt preterm labor?," 25 Apr. 2018 The body’s immune response can go haywire, overwhelming and sometimes continuing to damage the brain for months. — Andrew Joseph, STAT, "In a bid to promote stem cell therapies, health officials open a new door for promising contenders," 13 Apr. 2018 The test will give a pass to patients whose immune response has been quieted by antibiotics yet can be triggered by certain antibodies that may be present in non-sufferers. — Lidija Haas, The New Yorker, "Memoirs of Disease and Disbelief," 17 June 2014 Another possibility is hunting for specific infections in women at high risk of early labor; infections could be what jump-start the abnormal immune response, MacKenzie suspects. — Jennifer Couzin-frankel, Science | AAAS, "Could out-of-whack fetal immune systems prompt preterm labor?," 25 Apr. 2018 Doctors stressed that these were due to the immune response in the brain and that no one got polio as a result of treatment. — Marilynn Marchione, The Seattle Times, "Enemy turned ally: Poliovirus is used to fight brain tumors," 26 June 2018 Doctors stressed that these were due to the immune response in the brain and that no one got polio as a result of treatment. — Marilynn Marchione, chicagotribune.com, "Enemy turned ally: How poliovirus is used to fight brain tumors," 26 June 2018 The SurVaxM vaccine has been engineered to stimulate patients’ immune response to fend off tumor growth or recurrence. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Dad battling brain cancer shows no sign of tumor regrowth after clinical trial," 18 June 2018 This leaves your skin vulnerable to things that can irritate it and trigger an immune response that causes eczema symptoms. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What Causes Eczema, Anyway?," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'immune response.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.