FcγR uptake of antigen: antibody complexes and shaping the immune response
Monoclonal antibody therapy is a form of passive immunization. Indeed, longer‐term vaccine‐like or vaccinal immunity has been demonstrated in anti‐CD20‐treated mice via FcγRIIa50, 51 and in vitro recall memory responses from CD20‐treated patients.52 Although this is dependent on FcγR and anti‐CD20, the mechanism by which long‐term anti‐tumor response is established remains unclear.
Nonetheless, the active involvement of FcγR in the enhancement of antigen‐specific immunity by uptake of immune complexes through FcγR is historically well documented in experimental systems where FcγRs bind immune complexes and thereby feed antigens into the antigen‐presentation pathways.53 This has been demonstrated in vivo for small immune complexes via human FcγRI on human antigen‐presenting cells54 and in mice.19 Similarly, the capacity of FcγRIIbs to bind and rapidly internalize antigen–antibody complexes suggests that it too may significantly influence feeding antigens into professional antigen‐presenting cells of hematopoietic origin such as dendritic cells and possibly B lymphocytes.
Although not a classical major histocompatibility complex‐dependent antigen presentation, FcγRIIb on the stroma‐derived follicular dendritic cells influences antibody immunity by recycling antigen–antibody complexes to the cell surface for presentation of intact antigen to B cells.55
Although somewhat speculative, FcγRIIb’s rapid internalization/sweeping of complexes by the abundant LSEC, which interact with lymphocytes and can present antigen,56 may have a significant role in shaping immune responses.