transfer factor

American

noun

Immunology.

a lymphocyte product that, when extracted from T cells of an individual with immunity to a particular antigen, can confer that immunity when administered to another individual of the same species.

Etymology

Origin of transfer factor

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They had ample cause for celebration: their ten months of experiments on a "transfer factor" in animal immunology had produced spectacular results, gaining publication in scientific journals and the attention of immunologists round the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

Most important, serious doubt had been cast on the validity of the transfer factor experiments.

From Time Magazine Archive

Says he: "I think it's best to conclude that the transfer factor doesn't exist."

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023