Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. Signal., 23 August 2011
Vol. 4, Issue 187, p. ec232
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.4187ec232]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Cancer Making Better Antibodies Through Inhibition

Kristen L. Mueller

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

Immunotherapies that promote antitumor immunity—including cancer vaccines, adoptive cellular therapies, and monoclonal antibodies—are increasingly being pursued in the clinic to treat a variety of cancers. One monoclonal antibody that is of particular interest is an agonist antibody specific for CD40, a member of the tumor necrosis family of receptors, which has shown modest efficacy in small clinical trials. Antibody ligation of CD40 promotes maturation of antigen-presenting cells, which in turn can drive enhanced T cell– and macrophage-mediated tumor toxicity. Li and Ravetch (see the Perspective by Smyth and Kershaw) now show that optimal antitumor immunity in a variety of mouse models required that the Fc portion of the CD40 antibody engaged the Fc{gamma} receptor, Fc{gamma}RIIB. This was unexpected because Fc{gamma}RIIB typically transduces inhibitory signals to immune cells. Engineering of antibodies that preferentially bind activating Fc{gamma} receptors showed that only the inhibitory Fc{gamma} receptor was able to mediate an antitumor effect. Thus, careful engineering of the Fc region should be considered when designing monoclonal antibody therapeutics.

F. Li, J. V. Ravetch, Inhibitory Fc{gamma} receptor engagement drives adjuvant and anti-tumor activities of agonistic CD40 antibodies. Science 333, 1030–1034 (2011). [Abstract] [Full Text]

M. J. Smyth, M. H. Kershaw, The adjuvant effects of antibodies. Science 333, 944–945 (2011). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: K. L. Mueller, Making Better Antibodies Through Inhibition. Sci. Signal. 4, ec232 (2011).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882