Major advancements in the understanding of the immune system have provided us with the opportunity for rational design of therapeutic immunological interventions. The notion that dendritic cells (DC) play a crucial role in the activation of T lymphocytes has made DC biology of central importance for vaccine development. Accordingly, efficient delivery of antigen to DCs is one of main objectives in vaccine development. In this thesis, antibody-mediated antigen targeting is evaluated as a potential antigen delivery strategy for therapeutic vaccination. Complexes of protein antigen and antigen-specific antibodies are natural formulations that bind to Fc__ receptors. Fc__R ligation on DCs leads to efficient uptake, DC maturation and presentation of the antigen to T lymphocytes. Interaction of Ag-Ab complexes with Fc__Rs on DCs provides a link between the humoral and cellular arms of the immune response. This thesis contains an extensive evaluation of Fc__R-mediated antigen delivery to dendritic cells in the context of T lymphocyte-mediated immunotherapy. In addition, it contains a detailed analysis of Fc__R function on DCs and addresses the kinetics of cross-presentation of antigen after Fc__R-mediated uptake.UBL - phd migration 201