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Al(OH)3 is the most common adjuvant in human vaccines, but its mode of action remains poorly understood. Complement involvement in the adjuvant properties of Al(OH)3 has been suggested in several reports together with a depot effect. It is here confirmed that Al(OH)3 treatment of serum depletes complement components and activates the complement system. We show that complement activation by Al(OH)3 involves the three major pathways by monitoring complement components in Al(OH)3-treated serum and in Al(OH)3-containing precipitates. Al(OH)3 activation of complement results in deposition of C3 cleavage products and membrane attack complex (MAC) and in generation of the anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a. Complement activation was time dependent and inhibited by chelation with EDTA but not EGTA+Mg(2+). We thus confirm that Al(OH)3 activates the complement system and show that the alternative pathway is of major importance.

A significant challenge in chemistry is to rationally reproduce the functional potency of a protein in a small molecule, which is cheaper to manufacture, non-immunogenic, and also both stable and bioavailable. Synthetic peptides corresponding to small bioactive protein surfaces do not form stable structures in water and do not exhibit the functional potencies of proteins. Here we describe a novel approach to growing small molecules with protein-like potencies from a functionally important amino acid of a protein. A 77-residue human inflammatory protein (complement C3a) important in innate immunity is rationally transformed to equipotent small molecules, using peptide surrogates that incorporate a turn-inducing heterocycle with correctly positioned hydrogen-bond-accepting atoms. Small molecule agonists (molecular weight <500 Da) examined for receptor affinity and cellular responses have the same high potencies, functional profile and specificity of action as C3a protein, but greater plasma stability and bioavailability. Replicating the functionality of bioactive proteins using rationally designed small molecule mimics is both economically valuable and synthetically challenging. Here the authors develop a mimic of the inflammatory protein C3a with equal biological potency but enhanced stability and bioavailability.

The release of growth factors from platelets, mediated by the coagulation and the complement system, plays an important role in the bone formation around implants. This study aimed at exploring the thromboinflammatory response of H O -alkali soaked commercially pure titanium grade 2 discs exposed to whole human blood, as a way to assess the bioactivity of the discs. Commercially pure titanium grade 2 discs were modified by soaking in H O , NaOH and Ca(OH) . The platelet aggregation, coagulation activation and complement activation was assessed by exposing the discs to fresh whole blood from human donors. The platelet aggregation was examined by a cell counter and the coagulation and complement activation were assessed by ELISA-measurements of the concentration of thrombin-antithrombin complex, C3a and terminal complement complex. The modified surface showed a statistically significant increased platelet aggregation, coagulation activation and complement activation compared to unexposed blood. The surface also showed a statistically significant increase of coagulation activation compared to PVC. The results of this study showed that the H O -alkali soaked surfaces induced a thromboinflammatory response that indicates that the surfaces are bioactive.

Many studies have used surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry to search for blood-based proteins that are related to the presence of breast cancer. We review the biomarkers discovered or targeted measured by these methods and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these studies. We highlight two proteins that were most often related to breast cancer: C3a des-arginine anaphylatoxin (C3a desArg ) (molecular weight: 8,938 Da) and fragments of inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 (ITIH4). In addition, we elaborate on three important methodological aspects related to these studies: protein identification, specificity of the markers, and disease heterogeneity. Finally, we propose some points to be addressed in future studies. These include the use of other analytical measurement techniques, need of protein identification, the importance of identical sample handling protocols for cases and controls, and the stratification of the results according to molecular subtypes and stages of breast cancer. Ultimately this may lead to the discovery of new and valid breast cancer specific biomarkers.

The effect of peptide hydrophobicity and charge on peptide interaction with model lipid bilayers was investigated for the C3a-derived peptide CNY21 by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, ellipsometry, z-potential, and photon correlation spectroscopy measurements. For both zwitterionic and anionic liposomes, the membrane-disruptive potency for CNY21 variants increased with increasing net positive charge and mean hydrophobicity and was completely lost on elimination of all peptide positive charges. Analogous effects of elimination of the peptide positive net charge in particular were found regarding bacteria killing for both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. The peptides, characterized by moderate helix content both in buffer and when attached to the liposomes, displayed high adsorption for the net positively charged peptide variants, whereas adsorption was nonmeasurable for the uncharged peptide. That electrostatically driven adsorption represents the main driving force for membrane disruption in lipid systems was also demonstrated by a drastic reduction in both liposome leakage and peptide adsorption with increasing ionic strength, and this salt inactivation can be partly avoided by increasing the peptide hydrophobicity. This increased electrolyte resistance translates also to a higher antibacterial effect for the hydrophobically modified variant at high salt concentration. Overall, our findings demonstrate the importance of the peptide adsorption and resulting peptide interfacial density for membrane-disruptive effects of these peptides.

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability. No efficient therapy is currently available, except for the removal of the occluding blood clot during the first hours after symptom onset. Loss of function after stroke is due to cell death in the infarcted tissue, cell dysfunction in the peri-infarct region, as well as dysfunction and neurodegeneration in remote brain areas. Plasticity responses in spared brain regions are a major contributor to functional recovery, while secondary neurodegeneration in remote regions is associated with depression and impedes the long-term outcome after stroke. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to birth asphyxia is the leading cause of neurological disability resulting from birth complications. Despite major progress in neonatal care, approximately 50% of survivors develop complications such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy or epilepsy. The C3a receptor (C3aR) is expressed by many cell types including neurons and glia. While there is a body of evidence for its deleterious effects in the acute phase after ischemic injury to the adult brain, C3aR signaling contributes to better outcome in the post-acute and chronic phase after ischemic stroke in adults and in the ischemic immature brain. Here we discuss recent insights into the novel roles of C3aR signaling in the ischemic brain with focus on the therapeutic opportunities of modulating C3aR activity to improve the outcome after ischemic stroke and birth asphyxia.

Complement C3a is an important protein in innate and adaptive immunity, but its specific roles in vivo remain uncertain because C3a degrades rapidly to form the C3a-desArg protein, which does not bind to the C3a receptor and is indistinguishable from C3a using antibodies. Here we develop the most potent, stable and highly selective small molecule modulators of C3a receptor, using a heterocyclic hinge to switch between agonist and antagonist ligand conformations. This enables characterization of C3 areceptor-selective pro- vs. anti-inflammatory actions in human mast cells and macrophages, and in rats. A C3a receptor-selective agonist induces acute rat paw inflammation by first degranulating mast cells before activating macrophages and neutrophils. An orally administered C3a receptor-selective antagonist inhibits mast cell degranulation, thereby blocking recruitment and activation of macrophages and neutrophils, expression of inflammatory mediators and inflammation in a rat paw edema model. These novel tools reveal the mechanism of C3a-induced inflammation and provide new insights to complement-based medicines. Complement C3a is an important protein in innate and adaptive immunity, but its roles in vivo are unclear. Here the authors develop novel chemical agonists and antagonists for the C3a receptor, and show that they modulate mast cell degranulation and inflammation in a rat paw edema model

Adipocytes are differentiated by various transcriptional cascades integrated on the master regulator, Pparγ. To discover new genes involved in adipocyte differentiation, preadipocytes were treated with three newly identified pro-adipogenic small molecules and GW7845 (a Pparγ agonist) for 24 hours and transcriptional profiling was analyzed. Four genes, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (Pparγ), human complement factor D homolog (Cfd), Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 9 (Ccl9), and GIPC PDZ Domain Containing Family Member 2 (Gipc2) were induced by at least two different small molecules but not by GW7845. Cfd and Ccl9 expressions were specific to adipocytes and they were altered in obese mice. Small hairpin RNA (shRNA) mediated knockdown of Cfd in preadipocytes inhibited lipid accumulation and expression of adipocyte markers during adipocyte differentiation. Overexpression of Cfd promoted adipocyte differentiation, increased C3a production, and led to induction of C3a receptor (C3aR) target gene expression. Similarly, treatments with C3a or C3aR agonist (C4494) also promoted adipogenesis. C3aR knockdown suppressed adipogenesis and impaired the pro-adipogenic effects of Cfd, further suggesting the necessity for C3aR signaling in Cfd-mediated pro-adipogenic axis. Together, these data show the action of Cfd in adipogenesis and underscore the application of small molecules to identify genes in adipocytes.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and a gradual loss of pancreatic beta cell mass and function 1 , 2 . Currently, there are no therapies proven to prevent beta cell loss and some, namely insulin secretagogues, have been linked to accelerated beta cell failure, thereby limiting their use in type 2 diabetes 3 , 4 . The adipokine adipsin/complement factor D controls the alternative complement pathway and generation of complement component C3a, which acts to augment beta cell insulin secretion 5 . In contrast to other insulin secretagogues, we show that chronic replenishment of adipsin in diabetic db / db mice ameliorates hyperglycemia and increases insulin levels while preserving beta cells by blocking dedifferentiation and death. Mechanistically, we find that adipsin/C3a decreases the phosphatase Dusp26 ; forced expression of Dusp26 in beta cells decreases expression of core beta cell identity genes and sensitizes to cell death. In contrast, pharmacological inhibition of DUSP26 improves hyperglycemia in diabetic mice and protects human islet cells from cell death. Pertaining to human health, we show that higher concentrations of circulating adipsin are associated with a significantly lower risk of developing future diabetes among middle-aged adults after adjusting for body mass index (BMI). Collectively, these data suggest that adipsin/C3a and DUSP26-directed therapies may represent a novel approach to achieve beta cell health to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes. Targeting the adipokine adipsin and its downstream pathway may provide an approach for preservation of beta cell loss in type 2 diabetes.

The complement receptors C3aR and C5aR1, whose signaling is selectively activated by anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a, are important regulators of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Dysregulations of C3aR and C5aR1 signaling lead to multiple inflammatory disorders, including sepsis, asthma and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The mechanism underlying endogenous anaphylatoxin recognition and activation of C3aR and C5aR1 remains elusive. Here we reported the structures of C3a-bound C3aR and C5a-bound C5aR1 as well as an apo-C3aR structure. These structures, combined with mutagenesis analysis, reveal a conserved recognition pattern of anaphylatoxins to the complement receptors that is different from chemokine receptors, unique pocket topologies of C3aR and C5aR1 that mediate ligand selectivity, and a common mechanism of receptor activation. These results provide crucial insights into the molecular understanding of C3aR and C5aR1 signaling and structural templates for rational drug design for treating inflammation disorders. Cryo-EM structures of complement receptors C3aR and C5aR1 bound to their respective anaphylatoxin ligands C3a and C5a reveal insights into the conserved features and topological diversities of C3aR and C5aR1 in recognizing C3a and C5a.