Improving Therapeutic CD20 Antibodies Requires Insight into Their Mechanism of Action

CD20-targeting antibodies are the current standard of care for patients with mature B-cell malignancies. However, many patients relapse or develop therapy resistance, which emphasizes the urgent need for new therapies. Here, we provide an overview of the biology of the CD20 protein and the mechanisms of action of CD20 antibodies currently used in the clinic. In addition, we discuss different mechanisms underlying therapy resistance, and recent advances made in the development of novel antibody-based therapeutics to improve clinical outcome of patients with mature B-cell malignancies.