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Module 2.3 · Topic 4
Module 2.3 · Topic 4
Why antibodies can't touch a virus that's already inside a cell
The antibody you built last lesson is remarkably good at neutralising bacteria floating in blood or mucus. Point that same antibody at a virus that has already broken into one of your own cells, and it does nothing. Not because the antibody is malfunctioning — because it was never the right tool for that job.
A virus has already entered a host cell and is replicating inside it, invisible from outside. Can circulating antibodies detect or neutralise it there?
Humoral immunity is generally most effective against:
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