| abstract |
A modified C3 protein of the human complement (C3) is described which comprises a substitution of a portion of a human C3 protein, with a corresponding portion of a Cobra Poison Factor (CVF) protein, which results in a human C3 protein with CVF functions, but with substantially reduced immunogenicity. Advantageously, the C3 protein can be manipulated to contain at least one of the following CVF functions: increased stability of the C3 convertase and increased resistance to the actions of factors H and / or I. A large number of hybrid C3 proteins that Contains substitutions in the C-terminal portion of the alpha chain of C3 are presented and tested for the above functions. Treatment methods for diseases such as reperfusion damage, autoimmune diseases, and other diseases of increased complement activation are presented, as well as methods to increase the effectiveness of genetic and other therapeutic therapies. |