Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026
06:17
Depletion of Specific Cell Populations by Complement Depletion
Published on: February 5, 2010
Therapeutic inhibition of the complement system. Y2K update
1Division of Biochemistry and Immunology, Department of Dermatology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.s.asghar@amc.uva.nl
Frontiers in Bioscience : a Journal and Virtual Library
|September 1, 2000
Summary
High molecular weight inhibitors of complement activation are being developed to treat various human diseases. These inhibitors, including C1-esterase inhibitor and recombinant soluble complement regulators, show promise in managing inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Complement activation is a key factor in the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases.
- Pharmacological inhibition of complement offers a therapeutic strategy to suppress disease progression.
- High molecular weight natural inhibitors are being explored for their therapeutic potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review high molecular weight inhibitors of complement, focusing on those in clinical use and their potential applications.
- To discuss the development and efficacy of various complement inhibitors, including plasma-derived and recombinant forms.
- To highlight the therapeutic promise of complement inhibition in a wide range of human diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on high molecular weight complement inhibitors.
- Analysis of clinical trial data and experimental findings for various inhibitors.
- Discussion of recombinant technologies and xenotransplantation approaches for complement regulation.
Main Results:
- C1-esterase inhibitor concentrate is effective for hereditary angioneurotic edema and shows benefits in sepsis and inflammatory conditions.
- Recombinant soluble complement regulators (MCP, DAF) and transgenic pig organs show promise but require further clinical evaluation.
- Recombinant complement receptor 1 (sCR1) variants demonstrate efficacy in experimental models of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is effective in autoimmune and neurological diseases, with potential in other immunological conditions.
Conclusions:
- High molecular weight complement inhibitors, both natural and recombinant, represent a significant therapeutic avenue for diverse human diseases.
- Further clinical trials are needed to establish the full efficacy of several promising complement inhibitors.
- Complement inhibition is anticipated to become a major therapeutic strategy for combating human diseases.
Related Concept Videos
00:46Feedback Inhibition
Biochemical reactions are occurring constantly in cells, converting starting substances to different products, usually with the help of enzymes that speed the reactions. Without enzymes, it would take far too long for most reactions to occur to be useful to the cell!
01:20Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Antiplatelet drugs emerge as frontline defenders against the insidious threat of thromboembolic diseases, where abnormal clots obstruct vital blood vessels. These drugs stand as bulwarks, inhibiting platelet aggregation and clot formation, thereby mitigating the risk of life-threatening conditions like myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and thrombotic strokes.
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
01:23Antimicrobial Proteins
Antimicrobial proteins are important components of the immune system. They aid the body in combating pathogens by either killing them directly or hindering their replication processes. Four main types of antimicrobial substances are interferons, the complement system, iron-binding proteins, and antimicrobial proteins.
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
01:27Complement System
The complement system is a group of approximately 20 plasma proteins that strengthen the body's defenses against infections through opsonization, inflammation, and cell lysis. Opsonization involves coating pathogens with complement proteins, making them more recognizable and facilitating phagocyte engulfment. Certain complement proteins induce inflammation that attracts immune cells to the site of infection. Cell lysis involves the destruction of pathogens through the formation of a membrane...
01:01Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions
Type II hypersensitivity involves IgG and IgM antibodies targeting cell surface antigens, leading to cell destruction. This can occur through complement activation, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), or acting as opsonins for phagocytosis. When excessive, these reactions cause significant tissue damage.Drug-induced hemolytic anemia is a common example, where drugs like penicillin or cephalosporins bind to red blood cells, forming drug-protein complexes. These complexes...
01:30Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...