title: Viral-derived complement inhibitors: current status and potential role in immunomodulation.
abstract: The complement system is one of the body's major innate immune defense mechanisms in vertebrates. Its function is to detect foreign bodies and promote their elimination through opsonisation or lysis. Complement proteins play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of several disorders. However, excessive complement activation does not confer more protection but instead leads to several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. With inappropriate activation of the complement system, activated complement proteins and glycoproteins may damage both healthy and diseased tissues. Development of complement inhibitors represents an effective approach in controlling dysregulated complement activity and reducing disease severity, yet few studies have investigated the nature and role of novel complement inhibitory proteins of viral origin. Viral complement inhibitors have important implications in understanding the importance of complement inhibition and their role as a promising novel therapeutic approach in diseases caused by dysregulated complement function. In this review, we discuss the role and importance of complement inhibitors derived from several viruses in the scope of human inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
authors: 1 Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.|2 Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Hadi
authors: H
authors: Abou-El-Hassan
authors: 2 Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.|3 Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Hassan
authors: H
authors: Zaraket
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051056:Complement Inactivating Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D051056:Complement Inactivating Agents; D014764:Viral Proteins; D003165:Complement System Proteins
keywords: Virus; complement; complement inhibitor; complement regulation; disease; inflammation