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Complement System

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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...

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Complement in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration.

Vijay Yanamadala¹, Robert M Friedlander

¹Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. vijay_yanamadala@hms.harvard.edu <vijay_yanamadala@hms.harvard.edu>

Trends in Molecular Medicine

|February 2, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The complement cascade

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Immunology

Background:

Acute neurodegeneration presents significant mortality and limited treatment options.
Inflammation plays a key role in neuronal death, with complex involvement of the complement cascade.
The complement cascade's dual role in triggering cell death and immune cell recruitment in the brain is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the novel neuroprotective roles of the complement cascade in acute neuronal injury.
To explore signaling pathways within the complement cascade that may offer therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent evidence on complement cascade involvement in neurodegeneration.
Analysis of signaling pathways related to complement activation and neuroprotection.

Main Results:

The complement cascade has complex roles in neurodegeneration, including both cell death promotion and potential neuroprotection.
Emerging evidence highlights targeted complement activation as a potential therapeutic strategy for conditions like stroke.

Conclusions:

The complement cascade's neuroprotective functions are increasingly recognized.
Targeting specific complement pathways offers promising therapeutic avenues for acute neuronal injury and neurodegenerative diseases.