What is ADCC?

ADCC typically refers to Antibody-Dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity. It's a mechanism of cell-mediated immune defense whereby an effector cell of the immune system actively lyses a target cell, whose membrane-surface antigens have been bound by specific antibodies. It's commonly used in cancer immunotherapy and in combating viral infections. In ADCC, antibodies bind to antigens on the surface of the target cell. Effector cells, such as NK cells, then bind to the antibodies via their Fc receptors, leading to the activation of the effector cell and subsequent lysis of the target cell.