What term describes the property of suppressing the body's immune response to antigens?

The term that describes the property of suppressing the body's immune response to antigens is immunosuppressive. This term refers to various mechanisms or agents that inhibit the immune system's ability to respond to pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, as well as to foreign substances, such as transplanted organs or tissues. Immunosuppressive actions can be caused by certain medications, diseases, or therapeutic interventions primarily used in conditions like autoimmune disorders or to prevent transplant rejection, where dampening the immune response is necessary to avoid damaging healthy tissues or rejecting transplanted materials.

Understanding the role of immunosuppressive factors is crucial in many medical contexts, especially in transplant medicine, where the immune system needs to be carefully controlled to allow for the acceptance of donor organs.