FcγRIIB: a modulator of cell activation and humoral tolerance

An immune response needs to be tightly regulated to prevent excessive inflammation, which may result in the destruction of healthy tissues. At the molecular level, the strength of an immune response is determined by the integration of a multitude of positive and negative signals. This review will focus on IgG-dependent immune responses and discuss how the inhibitory receptor Fc gamma RIIB may be involved in regulating both the afferent and efferent phases of such a response. Furthermore, we will discuss recent evidence suggesting that Fc gamma RIIB may have important functions beyond the negative regulation of signals transduced by the B-cell receptor or activating Fc gamma Rs and could be responsible for the activity of agonistic antibodies in vivo.