Membrane-targeted complement inhibitors.

Undesirable complement activation contributes to the pathology of many human diseases by damaging tissue and promoting inflammation. Because complement-mediated damage is caused by the deposition of complement components on the cell surface, several strategies have been devised to target complement regulator proteins to cell membranes. These strategies have resulted in engineered proteins that have improved potency in vitro and enhanced therapeutic benefit in animal models of disease. One membrane-targeted complement inhibitor has now entered clinical development and this class of second-generation agents may provide effective therapies for the treatment of a variety of disease states.