An antibody or substance produced by an organism that prevents parasites from developing or reproducing.
From Greek a- (without) + blastus (bud, germ) + -in (chemical suffix). The term describes a protective compound that stops parasites from sprouting or multiplying.
African trypanosomes produce ablastin to protect themselves—parasites creating antibodies to stop other parasites is nature's arms race, and scientists borrowed the term to describe any growth-inhibiting immune factor!
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