Hello, I am a postgraduate student and focused on vaccine research now, but I can't ultterly understanted these two terms and the difference between these two antibodies. Thanks a lot.
Each antibody can bind an epitope (small region of the antigen in contact with the antibody binding site). Only some anti-viral antibodies bind to the regions in the viral antigens that are involved in binding to cellular receptors and are crucial for the infection process. If a given antibody recognizes an epitope outside these regions involved in the infection, it would not inhibit the infection. On the other hand, a neutralizing antibody binds to to (or near to) the region in the virus that initiates cell infection, and can thus block this process, being protective for the host.
A neutralizing antibodies can prevent cell from viral infections through blocking the attachment of the virus to the cell. Ex. bind to capsid protein or inhibit viral confirmation that mean stop viruses from changing their structures.
the virus infects cells normally need to steps. one is attachment, another one is fusion. the antibody can block either step, can block the virus infection, we call it neutralizing antibody. (mainly block the attachment).
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