Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and influenza virus

•The strain-specificity of most neutralizing antibodies against influenza poses difficulties in inducing broadly protective immunity.•Influenza-specific ADCC assists in the control of influenza in vitro and in animal models.•Influenza-specific ADCC in humans can react broadly against diverse influenza strains.•Influenza-specific ADCC is associated with resolution of influenza infection of humans in early studies.•Further study of ADCC is a promising avenue of research towards improving protective immunity to influenza.

Antibodies are a key defence against influenza infection and disease, but neutralizing antibodies are often strain-specific and of limited utility against divergent or pandemic viruses. There is now considerable evidence that influenza-specific antibodies with Fc-mediated effector functions, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), can assist in the clearance of influenza infection in vitro and in animal models. Further, ADCC-mediating antibodies that recognize a broad array of influenza strains are common in humans, likely as a result of being regularly exposed to influenza infections. The concept that influenza-specific ADCC can assist in the partial control of influenza infections in humans is gaining momentum. This review examines the utility of influenza-specific ADCC antibodies.