radioimmunologista

Radioimmunology is a laboratory technique used to measure the concentration of antigens or antibodies in a biological sample. It combines the specificity of radioisotopes with the high affinity of antibody-antigen reactions. In this method, a known amount of radiolabeled antigen or antibody is incubated with the sample. The antigen or antibody in the sample will compete with the radiolabeled substance for binding sites.

The principle behind radioimmunology relies on the fact that the binding of antibodies to antigens is highly specific. By using a radioactive tracer, the amount of bound antigen or antibody can be quantified using a gamma counter. A standard curve is typically generated using known concentrations of the substance being measured to determine the concentration in unknown samples.

Radioimmunology has been widely used in clinical diagnostics for detecting and quantifying various hormones, drugs, and other biomolecules. It is particularly useful for measuring substances present in very low concentrations. However, due to the use of radioactive materials, it requires specialized facilities and handling procedures. In recent years, many radioimmunoassay techniques have been replaced by non-radioactive immunoassay methods, such as ELISA, due to safety concerns and the availability of sensitive alternative technologies. Despite this, radioimmunology remains a foundational technique in laboratory medicine and research.