antiserum
Sign in to saveIn immunology, antiserum is a blood serum containing antibodies (either monoclonal or polyclonal) that is used to spread passive immunity to many diseases via blood donation (plasmapheresis). For example, convalescent serum, or passive antibody transfusion from a previous human survivor, was the only known effective treatment for Ebola infection with a high success rate of 7 out of 8 patients surviving.
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- How it works
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In immunology, antiserum is a blood serum containing antibodies (either monoclonal or polyclonal) that is used to spread passive immunity to many diseases via blood donation (plasmapheresis). For example, convalescent serum, or passive antibody transfusion from a previous human survivor, was the only known effective treatment for Ebola infection with a high success rate of 7 out of 8 patients surviving.
Antisera are widely used in diagnostic virology laboratories. The most common use of antiserum in humans is as antitoxin or antivenom to treat envenomation.