The Ligands for Human IgG and Their Effector Functions

Activation of the humoral immune system is initiated when antibodies recognize an antigen and trigger effector functions through the interaction with Fc engaging molecules. The most abundant immunoglobulin isotype in serum is Immunoglobulin G (IgG) which is involved in many humoral immune responses, strongly interacting with effector molecules.

The article offers an overview of the interaction of IgG, with effector molecules and analyses how the natural variation of the antibody and effector molecule side shapes the biological activities of antibodies. The knowledge on the Fc-mediated effector function of antibodies drives the development of better therapeutic antibodies for cancer immunotherapy or treatment of autoimmune diseases.