Abstract
Factor H-related proteins (CFHRs) are plasma glycoproteins related in structure and antigenicity to each other and to the complement inhibitory protein factor H. Such proteins are found in most mammals but their number and domain composition vary. This chapter summarizes our current knowledge on the human factor H-related proteins. In contrast to factor H, they have no strong complement inhibitory activity, although for some of them regulatory or complement modulatory activity has been reported. A common feature of CFHRs is that they bind to the C3b component of complement. Novel links between CFHRs and various diseases (C3 glomerulopathies, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and age-related macular degeneration) have been revealed in recent years, but we are still far from understanding their biological function.
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Acknowledgements
M.J. is supported by the “Lendület” Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (grant LP2012-43/2012). S.M. is supported by the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Helsinki University Central Hospital Funds and the Immunobiology Research Program, University of Helsinki.
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Józsi, M., Meri, S. (2014). Factor H-Related Proteins. In: Gadjeva, M. (eds) The Complement System. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1100. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-724-2_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-724-2_18
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