Recombinant adenovirus vectors activate the alternative complement pathway, leading to the binding of human complement protein C3 independent of anti-ad antibodies.

Recombinant adenoviruses are one of the most common gene transfer vectors utilized in human clinical trials, but it is also clear that systemic administration of this virus will be met by host innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. One element of innate immunity is the complement system, a group of proteins that has evolved to rapidly recognize foreign microbes and viruses and to clear them from the circulatory system prior to their gaining entry to vulnerable host cells. Excessive complement activation can initiate or propagate a number of deleterious inflammatory responses, by release of potent cytokines and anaphylatoxins and/or by direct cellular toxicity. These reactions can progress rapidly and are factors important in serious complications, including the systemic inflammatory response syndrome and the adult respiratory distress syndrome.