Adoptive immunity

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Adoptive immunity acts in a host after their immunological components are withdrawn, their immunological activity is modified extracorporeally, and then reinfused into the same host.[1][2] This process in its former part is analogous to adoption: a child is once adopted out from their home, grown up, and then returned to their home of birth. Transferred immunological components include immune cells such as T lymphocytes or tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes,[1] NK cells, macrophages, or B cells.[3]

There seems to be some variation in usage of this term.

  1. Transferred components are immune cells and autologous as above.[1][2]
  2. Transfer of immune cells is made between different individuals of
    GVHD in the new host.[2][4]
  3. Transfer of cells are made between
    allogeneic hosts but the new host is irradiated for preventing rejection or GVHD.[5][6]
  4. Transfer of cells are made between allogeneic hosts.[1]
  5. Transferred components include cells as well as immune molecules such as immunoglobulins between allogeneic hosts.[7]

The term is used almost synonymously for "passive immunity" in some situations,[7] however, passive immunity acts among xenogeneic hosts; for example, in snake venom immunotherapy, antivenom IgG is obtained from sensitized horse and inoculated to humans.[8]

Immunological terms with an adjective "adoptive"

The following terms might indicate procedures involving similar immunological transfer processes.[citation needed]

References