Antigen
Antigens are "targeted" by antibodies. Each antibody is specifically produced by the immune system to match an antigen after cells in the immune system come into "contact" with it; this allows a precise identification or matching of the antigen and the initiation of a tailored response. The antibody is said to "match" the antigen in the sense that it can bind to it due to an adaptation in a region of the antibody; because of this, many different antibodies are produced, each able to bind a different antigen while sharing the same basic structure. In most cases, an adapted antibody can only react to and bind one specific antigen; in some instances, however, antibodies may cross-react and bind more than one antigen.
History and naming of human leukocyte antigens
In the early 1960s, some physicians began more aggressive attempts at organ transplantation. Knowing little about "compatibility factors", they attempted transplantation between humans and between non-humans and humans. Immunosuppressive drugs worked for a time, but transplanted organs would either always fail or the patients would die from infections. Patients received skin, white blood cell or kidney donations from other donors (called allografts, meaning 'of different genetics' grafts). If these allografts were rejected, it was found that the 'rejection' response was accompanied by an antibody mediated agglutination (biology) of red blood cells (See figure). The search for these cell surface antigens began. There are several processes by which antibodies can reduce function: