Definition
opsonized
adjective
- treated with opsonins; rendered more susceptible to destruction by phagocytes
Usage: medical/immunology term; technical
verb
- past tense and past participle of opsonize; to treat (a pathogen or foreign particle) with opsonins to make it more susceptible to phagocytosis
Usage: medical/immunology term; technical
Examples
- The bacteria were opsonized by antibodies in the patient's serum.
- Opsonized pathogens are more readily engulfed by white blood cells.
- The immune system opsonized the invading microorganisms to enhance their clearance.
- Complement proteins opsonized the viral particles, marking them for destruction.
- Opsonized antigens trigger a faster immune response than uncoated ones.