Review Articles

Artificial Inhibition of the Complement System

L. V. Kozlov^1 #, O. O. Burdelev², S. V. Bureeva² and A. P. Kaplun²

¹ Gabrichevskii Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, ul. Admirala Makarova 10, Moscow, 125212, Russia;
² Lomonosov State Academy of Fine Chemical Technology, pr. Vernadskogo 86, Moscow, 117851, Russia

Received: May 16, 2006; in final form: January 23, 2007

Abstract. A great number of natural substances affect the complement system in addition to its natural regulators. Among the complement effectors, the most important are inhibitors of the activation cascade. The necessity of searching for preparations capable of a purposeful effect on complement by inhibition of single stages of the activation cascade and without influence on its other functions is connected with the current importance of use in medicine of novel therapeutic regulators of the complement system. Important directions are the search for complement inhibitors that (a) interfere with the rejection of transplants; (b) can replace C1 inhibitor in hereditary angioedema; and (c) have a high anti-inflammatory activity in the therapy of rheumatic diseases, diabetes, and other autoimmune disorders. It is expedient to use the available techniques for the directed detection of the action of medicinal substances on complement, which allow the determination of their action on the complement system at various stages of the cascade of its activation.

Key words: complement; inhibitors; medicinal substances

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry 2007, 33(5): 449-473