IMR Press / FBL / Volume 16 / Issue 1 / DOI: 10.2741/3688

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Molecular mechanisms of the antitumor effects of anti-CD20 antibodies
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1 Department of Immunology, Centre of Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1A F building, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
2 Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department 3, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2011, 16(1), 277–306; https://doi.org/10.2741/3688
Published: 1 January 2011
Abstract

Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become the mainstay in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and have shown significant activity in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Antitumor action of these antibodies results from triggering of indirect effector mechanisms of the immune system that include activation of complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), or phagocytosis. Moreover, some studies indicate direct influence of anti-CD20 mAbs on tumor cells that leads to induction of various types of cell death. Despite the wealth of data on the mechanisms of cytotoxicity that accumulated over the last two decades their relative contribution to the therapeutic outcome is still difficult to predict in individual patients. Elucidation of molecular mechanisms of anti-CD20 mAbs action is necessary to deliver their maximal activity in rationally designed combinations with other therapeutic approaches and to design next generation anti-CD20 mAb with improved ability to eliminate tumor cells.

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