Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Modeling Colitis-Associated Cancer with Azoxymethane (AOM) and Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)
Published on: September 11, 2012
Review: Cromer and DAF: role in health and disease
1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Abstract:
The antigens of the Cromer blood group system are located on the protein decay-accelerating factor (DAF). This system consists of ten high-prevalence and three low-prevalence antigens; the molecular basis for all of these antigens is a single nucleotide polymorphism in the DAF gene. DAF is a 70,000-Da plasma membrane protein that is widely distributed on all blood cells and on endothelial and epithelial tissues. The physiological role of DAF is to inhibit the complement cascade at the level of the critical C3 convertase step. By this mechanism,DAF acts to protect autologous cells and tissues from complement-mediated damage and hence can play a role in preventing or modulating autoimmune disease and inflammation. The use of recombinant DAF as a therapeutic agent in autoimmunity and inflammation, and of DAF transgenic animals in xenotransplantation, is being actively investigated. Additionally, DAF serves as a receptor for certain strains of Escherichia coli and certain types of enteroviruses. The DAF protein that contains the Cromer antigens serves important roles in health and disease.
Related Concept Videos
Concepts of Health and Illness
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Disease States and Pharmacology
Substances such as alcohol and specific drugs, including antineoplastics, can also negatively impact drug absorption. For instance,...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...

