How different are the actions of antibodies against bacteria and against virus? Why is the cellular immune response activated in case of chronic viral infection?
1 year ago
Biology
The antibodies of the humoral immune system act against extracellular agents, like toxins or bacteria, but they are not active in the intracellular space and they cannot fight virus efficiently.
In case of viral infection (and also of cancerous or precancerous cells) the immune attack is made by the cellular immune system, mediated by T and NK (natural killers) lymphocytes that destroy specific cells and virus.
Dipti KC
May 26, 2023