The complement system is pivotal in
protection against pathogens,
but also plays important
roles in bridging innate and adaptive imm
une responses (Scott and Botto, 2015) and in
modulating local and systemic
inflammation (Markiewski and
Lambris, 2007). Activation of
complement occurs through three different path
ways (classical, alte
rnative and lectin),
converges at C3 cleavage and culminates in
the formation of the membrane attack complex.
The anaphylotoxic fragments, C3a and C5a, gene
rated during the proteolytic cascade, recruit
immune cells that can promote
the removal of debris and pat
hogens, but can also cause tissue
damage (Markiewski and Lambris, 2007).