What is the Role of Antibodies in Neutralizing Toxins?
Antibodies play a pivotal role in neutralizing toxins by binding to them and preventing their interaction with host cells. This binding can lead to various outcomes: neutralization, opsonization, and complement activation. Neutralization involves directly blocking the active sites of toxins, whereas opsonization marks the toxin for phagocytosis. Complement activation can lead to a cascade of immune responses, resulting in the lysis of toxin-bearing cells.