Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Autoanticuerpo
Autoantibody (AW-toh-AN-tee-BAH-dee)
An antibody made against substances formed by a person’s own body. Autoantibodies can directly destroy cells that have the substances on them or can make it easier for other white blood cells to destroy them. Some autoimmune diseases are caused by autoantibodies.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.