title: Fc receptors in immune thrombocytopenias: a target for immunomodulation?
abstract: In autoimmune disease, Fc receptors (FcRs) form the interface between immune effector cells and their antibody-coated targets, and as such are attractive targets for immunomodulatory therapy. In this issue of the JCI, two highly novel studies of Fc-FcR interactions provide new insights into the role of FcRs in immune thrombocytopenia. Asahi et al. utilized a comprehensive platform of immunological assays to examine the mechanism underlying Helicobacter pylori-associated immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and Ghevaert et al. describe a specially designed antibody that saturates binding sites on fetal platelets without initiating FcgammaR-mediated platelet phagocytosis, preventing the binding of pathological maternal anti-HLA antibodies that cause fetomaternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (see the related articles beginning on pages 2939 and 2929, respectively). These reports illustrate how a remarkably detailed molecular understanding of the FcR network may translate into new therapeutic strategies with high clinical impact.
authors.affiliation: Platelet Disorders Center, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Bethan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Psaila
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bussel
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011247:Pregnancy; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000276:immunology*; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000276:immunology*; D054098:Thrombocytopenia, Neonatal Alloimmune / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011961:Receptors, Fc