Complement component 5a (C5a)

  • Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2009 Nov;41(11):2114-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2009.04.005.
Helga D Manthey  1 ,  Trent M Woodruff ,  Stephen M Taylor ,  Peter N Monk
Affiliations
  • 1. School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. [email protected]
PMID: 19464229 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2009.04.005
Abstract

The 74 amino acid glycoprotein, Complement Component 5a (C5a), is a potent pro-inflammatory mediator cleaved enzymatically from its precursor, C5, upon activation of the complement cascade. C5a is quickly metabolised by carboxypeptidases, forming the less potent C5adesArg. Acting via a classical G protein-coupled receptor, CD88, C5a and C5adesArg exert a number of effects essential to the innate immune response, while their actions at the more recently discovered non-G protein-coupled receptor, C5L2 (or GPR77), remain unclear. The widespread expression of C5a receptors throughout the body allows C5a to elicit a broad range of effects. Thus, C5a has been found to be a significant pathogenic driver in a number of immuno-inflammatory diseases, making C5a inhibition an attractive therapeutic strategy.

Products