Fig. 1
From: Complement-targeted therapy: development of C5- and C5a-targeted inhibition
Complement activation. Three pathways, i.e., classical, lectin, and alternative pathways, are independently activated to form C3 convertase. The activation of this cascade culminates in the generation of various fragments derived from complement proteins and the formation of membrane attack complex (MAC). The former acts as potent mediators of inflammation by binding to their receptors on the cell surface, while the latter is comprised of C5b, C6, C7, C8, and multiple copies of C9 that generate lytic pores in cellular membranes