Antibodies are a popular and therapeutically effective modality. Traditional antibodies work by binding and blocking – binding to a target and then blocking its function. Humira works this way. It binds to TNF-alpha so it can’t bind to its receptor, thus blocking its activity. Other traditional antibodies may bind to a virus and block the virus from gaining entry into a cell, thus preventing the virus from replicating. Anti-PD-1 antibodies bind to the PD-1 receptor and block its activity.

Sweeping antibodies are a bit more sophisticated than the traditional binding and blocking antibodies. Sweeping antibodies are designed to bind to an antigen, then sweep it from the bloodstream. The variable region of the sweeping antibody binds to the antigen, but the Fc region binds to an FcRn receptor on a cell. The FcRn receptor promotes recycling of the antibody. Once bound and engulfed by the cell (FcRn mediated endocytosis), the antigen is degraded and the sweeping antibody is recycled and released by the cell. This sweeping antibody is then able to bind and degrade another antigen molecule.

Sweeping antibodies can target cytokines or other extracellular proteins that are implicated in certain diseases and disorders, especially autoimmune disorders. For a therapeutic strategy that requires eliminating or lowering an antigen’s concentration, a sweeping antibody might be the modality to leverage.

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