A type of immunity that develops when a person’s immune system responds to a foreign substance or microorganism, such as after an infection or vaccination. Adaptive immunity involves specialized immune cells and antibodies that attack and destroy foreign invaders and are able to prevent disease in the future by remembering what those substances look like and mounting a new immune response. Adaptive immunity may last for a few weeks or months or for a long time, sometimes for a person’s entire life.
( uh-DAP-tiv ih-MYOO-nih-tee )
Source: NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
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