Neonatal Fc Receptor Expression in Dendritic Cells Mediates Protective Immunity against Colorectal Cancer

Cancers arising in mucosal tissues account for a disproportionately large fraction of malignancies. IgG and the neonatal Fc receptor for IgG (FcRn) have an important function in the mucosal immune system which we have now shown extends to the induction of CD8+ T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. We demonstrate that FcRn within dendritic cells (DC) was critical for homeostatic activation of mucosal CD8+ T cells which drove protection against the development of colorectal cancers and lung metastases. FcRn-mediated tumor protection was driven by DC activation of endogenous tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells via the cross-presentation of IgG complexed antigens (IgG IC) as well as the induction of cytotoxicity-promoting cytokine secretion, particularly interleukin-12 (IL-12), both of which were independently triggered by the FcRn–IgG IC interaction in murine and human DC. FcRn thus has a primary role within mucosal tissues in activating local immune responses that are critical for priming efficient anti-tumor immunosurveillance