Overcoming the first line of the innate immune system is a general hallmark of pathogenic microbes to avoid recognition and to enter the human host. In particular, spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex have developed various means to counter the immune response and to successfully survive in diverse host environments for a prolonged period of time. In regard to co...

Complement is a crucial arm of the innate immune response against invading bacterial pathogens, and one of its main functions is to recognize and destroy target cells. Similar to other pathogens, Escherichia coli has evolved mechanisms to overcome complement activation. It is well known that capsular polysaccharide may confer resistance to complement-mediated killing and phagocytosis, being one...

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a complex inflammatory vascular disease. There are currently limited treatment options for AAA when surgery is inapplicable. Therefore, insights into molecular mechanisms underlying AAA pathogenesis may reveal therapeutic targets that could be manipulated pharmacologically or biologically to halt disease progression. Using an elastase-induced AAA mouse model, ...

Complement C1 is the defining component of the classical pathway. Within the C1qC1r2C1s2 complex, C1q functions as a molecular scaffold for C1r2C1s2 and C1q binding to its ligands activates these two serine proteases. The classic C1q ligands are antigen-bound antibodies and activated C1s cleaves C4 and C2 to initiate the complement cascade. Recent studies suggest broad C1 functions beyond the c...

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is synthesized in pancreatic β-cells and co-secreted with insulin. Aggregation and formation of IAPP-amyloid play a critical role in β-cell death in type 2 diabetic patients. Because Aβ-fibrils in Alzheimer disease activate the complement system, we have here investigated specific interactions between IAPP and complement factors. IAPP fibrils triggered limited a...

PURPOSE There is increasing evidence that the complement system may play a significant role in one of the leading diseases causing blindness in the elderly population, age-related macular degeneration. In this study, a novel role in the retina for a regulatory protein in the complement system, CD46, is proposed. METHODS The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) was obtained from human donor eyes a...

Poxviruses subvert the host immune response by producing immunomodulatory proteins, including a complement regulatory protein. Ectromelia virus provides a mouse model for smallpox where the virus and the host's immune response have co-evolved. Using this model, our study investigated the role of the complement system during a poxvirus infection. By multiple inoculation routes, ectromelia virus ...