Antibody affinity maturation

The antibody response. This short video explains how B cells make antibodies that bind to and neutralize bacteria, parasites, and viruses (pathogens). The enzyme activation induced-cytidine deaminase (AID) mutates antibody genes randomly. B cells that produce antibodies that bind tightly (i.e. with high affinity) to pathogens are then selected by a micro-evolutionary process that occurs in the germinal center. This process leads to the affinity maturation of the antibody response and to neutralization of th