Precision is one of the benefits of specificity.
From this theory, we should expect the binding specificity of a given antibody to be a function of the difference between two antigens (i.e., the target and any nontarget antigens) and the relative costs and benefits of specificity versus cross-reactivity.
Balanced against these benefits of specificity and costs of cross-reactivity, it is apparent that cross-reactive immune responses can, in some contexts, simultaneously protect hosts against a wide array of parasites, a possibility that has not been lost on vaccinologists (Nagy et al. 2008).
There is an obvious benefit of higher specificity and reduced false-positive recalls in subsequent mammography when prior mammograms are available, although specificity will also drop as sensitivity increases with decreasing frequency of screening [ 26].
Herein, we have developed a simple method to produce large amounts of coating material that would provide a better approximation of the in vivo microenvironment with the added benefit of tissue specificity and complexity.
Nonetheless, given the low average out-degree of many intracellular signaling and regulatory networks [ 9, 31, 32, 53- 57], it seems that network engineering via interaction manipulations may, in many cases, require few manipulations to mitigate network damage -- in addition to the aforementioned benefit of increased specificity relative to modifications to node expression levels.
In this perspective, we consider whether cross-reactivity is an evolved trait of the immune system, driven by conflicting costs and benefits of antigen specificity, or whether it is an inescapable side-effect of the problem of recognizing and binding to an enormous range of putative antigens.
This peculiar characteristic of lncRNAs can offer possible benefits in terms of specificity for clinical applications.
Covalent allosteric modulators possess the pharmacological advantages (high potency, extended duration of action and low drug resistance) of covalent ligands and the additional benefit of the higher specificity and lower toxicity of allosteric modulators.
In this situation there may be bias towards the longer lived TST response which outweighs the benefit of the increased specificity of the more transient IGRA response.
