Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Biology immunity question

pls can someone help with this question
MM is caused by a faulty receptor protein in cell-surface membranes. Cells in MM tumours can be destroyed by the immune system.
Suggest why they can be destroyed by the immune system.
the answer is that T cells bind to the faulty protein but I wasn't sure why could B cells or antibodies bind instead?

Reply 1

Biolover2020

Original post by user493

Im not quite sure what your question is? Are you asking why B-cells or antibodies cant bind?

Reply 2

user493

yeah like how come the answer is to do with t cells binding because would B cells be able to bind aswell?

Reply 3

thomas.rhett

Original post by user493

yeah like how come the answer is to do with t cells binding because would B cells be able to bind aswell?

Because it is cytotoxic T cells (T killer cells) that can destroy other body cells. These cells once activated bind to body cells that present non-self antigens and destroy them. The cells present antigens bound to MHC proteins on the cell surface. These cells could be virally infected cells or tumor cells (as in this question) presenting bits of viral protein or some _altered_ self-protein. The antigen fragment has to be complimentary to T cell's receptor. By destroying these cells, T cells prevent release of mature viral particles at the end of lytic cycle that could go onto infect other healthy cells or further uncontrolled mitosis and cell division in the case of tumor cells.

B cells when activated differentiate into plasma cells which secrete antibodies. Antibodies are involved in opsonization but neither B cells nor plasma cells destroy other body cells like T killer cells.