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The complement cascade as a mediator of tissue growth and regeneration

2010; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 59; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s00011-010-0220-6

1420-908X

Martin J. Rutkowski, Michael E. Sughrue, Ari J. Kane, Brian Ahn, Shanna Fang, Andrew T. Parsa,

Platelet Disorders and Treatments

Recent evidence has demonstrated that the complement cascade is involved in a variety of physiologic and pathophysiologic processes in addition to its role as an immune effector. Research in a variety of organ systems has shown that complement proteins are direct participants in maintenance of cellular turnover, healing, proliferation and regeneration. As a physiologic housekeeper, complement proteins maintain tissue integrity in the absence of inflammation by disposing of cellular debris and waste, a process critical to the prevention of autoimmune disease. Developmentally, complement proteins influence pathways including hematopoietic stem cell engraftment, bone growth, and angiogenesis. They also provide a potent stimulus for cellular proliferation including regeneration of the limb and eye in animal models, and liver proliferation following injury. Here, we describe the complement cascade as a mediator of tissue growth and regeneration.