Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 7-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Complement: a key system for immune surveillance and homeostasis

Complement: a key system for immune surveillance and homeostasis Nearly a century after the significance of the human complement system was recognized, we have come to realize that its functions extend far beyond the elimination of microbes. Complement acts as a rapid and efficient immune surveillance system that has distinct effects on healthy and altered host cells and foreign intruders. By eliminating cellular debris and infectious microbes, orchestrating immune responses and sending 'danger' signals, complement contributes substantially to homeostasis, but it can also take action against healthy cells if not properly controlled. This review describes our updated view of the function, structure and dynamics of the complement network, highlights its interconnection with immunity at large and with other endogenous pathways, and illustrates its multiple roles in homeostasis and disease. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nature Immunology Springer Journals

Complement: a key system for immune surveillance and homeostasis

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/complement-a-key-system-for-immune-surveillance-and-homeostasis-JHAhhXm5zI

References (189)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Subject
Biomedicine; Biomedicine, general; Immunology; Infectious Diseases
ISSN
1529-2908
eISSN
1529-2916
DOI
10.1038/ni.1923
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Nearly a century after the significance of the human complement system was recognized, we have come to realize that its functions extend far beyond the elimination of microbes. Complement acts as a rapid and efficient immune surveillance system that has distinct effects on healthy and altered host cells and foreign intruders. By eliminating cellular debris and infectious microbes, orchestrating immune responses and sending 'danger' signals, complement contributes substantially to homeostasis, but it can also take action against healthy cells if not properly controlled. This review describes our updated view of the function, structure and dynamics of the complement network, highlights its interconnection with immunity at large and with other endogenous pathways, and illustrates its multiple roles in homeostasis and disease.

Journal

Nature ImmunologySpringer Journals

Published: Aug 19, 2010

There are no references for this article.