Intravenously injected nanopharmaceuticals, including PEGylated nanoparticles, induce adverse cardiopulmonary reactions in sensitive human subjects, and these reactions are highly reproducible in pigs. Although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, roles for both the complement system and reactive macrophages have been implicated. Here, we show the dominance and importance of robust pulmonary intravascular macrophage clearance of nanoparticles in mediating adverse cardiopulmonary distress in pigs irrespective of complement activation. Specifically, we show that delaying particle recognition by macrophages within the first few minutes of injection overcomes adverse reactions in pigs using two independent approaches. First, we changed the particle geometry from a spherical shape (which triggers cardiopulmonary distress) to either rod- or disk-shape morphology. Second, we physically adhered spheres to the surface of erythrocytes. These strategies, which are distinct from commonly leveraged stealth engineering approaches such as nanoparticle surface functionalization with poly(ethylene glycol) and/or immunological modulators, prevent robust macrophage recognition, resulting in the reduction or mitigation of adverse cardiopulmonary distress associated with nanopharmaceutical administration.

Summary. Background: Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a glycosaminoglycan released by activated platelets. Objective: Here we test the hypothesis that CS released by activated platelets can trigger complement activation in the fluid phase. Methods and results: Thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP)-6 was used to activate platelets in platelet-rich plasma and blood, anticoagulated with the thrombin inhibitor lepirudin. TRAP activation induced fluid-phase complement activation, as reflected by the generation of C3a and sC5b-9, which could be attenuated by the C3 inhibitor compstatin. Chondroitinase ABC treatment of supernatants from activated platelets totally inhibited the activation, indicating that platelet-derived CS had initiated the complement activation. Furthermore, addition of purified CS to plasma strongly triggered complement activation. C1q was identified as the recognition molecule, as it bound directly to CS, and CS-triggered complement activation could be restored in C1q-depleted serum by adding purified C1q. TRAP activation of whole blood increased the expression of CD11b on leukocytes and generation of leukocyte-platelet complexes. It was demonstrated that these leukocyte functions were dependent on C3 activation and signaling via C5a, as this expression could be inhibited by compstatin and by a C5aR antagonist. Conclusions: We conclude that platelets trigger complement activation in the fluid phase by releasing CS, which leads to inflammatory signals mediated by C5a.

When an artificial biomaterial (e.g., a stent or implantable pump) is exposed to blood, plasma proteins immediately adhere to the surface, creating a new interface between the biomaterial and the blood. The recognition proteins within the complement and contact activation/coagulation cascade systems of the blood will be bound to, or inserted into, this protein film and generate different mediators that will activate polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes, as well as platelets. Under clinical conditions, the ultimate outcome of these processes may be thrombotic and inflammatory reactions, and consequently the composition and conformation of the proteins in the initial layer formed on the surface will to a large extent determine the outcome of a treatment involving the biomaterial, affecting both the functionality of the material and the patient’s life quality. This review presents models of biomaterial-induced activation processes and describes various strategies to attenuate potential adverse reactions by conjugating bioactive molecules to surfaces or by introducing nanostructures.

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It has been reported that complement is activated on the surface of activated platelets, despite the presence of multiple regulators of complement activation. To reinvestigate the mechanisms by which activated platelets bind to complement components, the presence of complement proteins on the surfaces of nonactivated and thrombin receptor-activating peptide-activated platelets was analyzed by flow cytometry and Western blot analyses. C1q, C4, C3, and C9 were found to bind to thrombin receptor-activating peptide-activated platelets in lepirudin-anticoagulated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and whole blood. However, inhibiting complement activation at the C1q or C3 level did not block the binding of C3 to activated platelets. Diluting PRP and chelating divalent cations also had no effect, further indicating that the deposition of complement components was independent of complement activation. Furthermore, washed, activated platelets bound added C1q and C3 to the same extent as platelets in PRP. The use of mAbs against different forms of C3 demonstrated that the bound C3 consisted of C3(H2O). Furthermore, exogenously added soluble complement receptor 1 was shown to bind to this form of platelet-bound C3. These observations indicate that there is no complement activation on the surface of platelets under physiological conditions. This situation is in direct contrast to a number of pathological conditions in which regulators of complement activation are lacking and thrombocytopenia and thrombotic disease are the ultimate result. However, the generation of C3(H2O) represents nonproteolytic activation of C3 and after factor I cleavage may act as a ligand for receptor binding.

The liver is both an immunologically complex and a privileged organ. The innate immune system is a central player, in which the complement system emerges as a pivotal part of liver homeostasis, immune responses, and crosstalk with other effector systems in both innate and adaptive immunity. The liver produces the majority of the complement proteins and is the home of important immune cells such as Kupffer cells. Liver immune responses are delicately tuned between tolerance to many antigens flowing in from the alimentary tract, a tolerance that likely makes the liver less prone to rejection than other solid organ transplants, and reaction to local injury, systemic inflammation, and regeneration. Notably, complement is a double‐edged sword as activation is detrimental by inducing inflammatory tissue damage in, for example, ischemia–reperfusion injury and transplant rejection yet is beneficial for liver tissue regeneration. Therapeutic complement inhibition is rapidly developing for routine clinical treatment of several diseases. In the liver, targeted inhibition of damaged tissue may be a rational and promising approach to avoid further tissue destruction and simultaneously preserve beneficial effects of complement in areas of proliferation. Here, we argue that complement is a key system to manipulate in the liver in several clinical settings, including liver injury and regeneration after major surgery and preservation of the organ during transplantation.

Two functions have been assigned to properdin; stabilization of the alternative convertase, C3bBb, is well accepted, whereas the role of properdin as pattern recognition molecule is controversial. The presence of nonphysiological aggregates in purified properdin preparations and experimental models that do not allow discrimination between the initial binding of properdin and binding secondary to C3b deposition is a critical factor contributing to this controversy. In previous work, by inhibiting C3, we showed that properdin binding to zymosan and Escherichia coli is not a primary event, but rather is solely dependent on initial C3 deposition. In the present study, we found that properdin in human serum bound dose-dependently to solid-phase myeloperoxidase. This binding was dependent on C3 activation, as demonstrated by the lack of binding in human serum with the C3-inhibitor compstatin Cp40, in C3-depleted human serum, or when purified properdin is applied in buffer. Similarly, binding of properdin to the surface of human umbilical vein endothelial cells or Neisseria meningitidis after incubation with human serum was completely C3-dependent, as detected by flow cytometry. Properdin, which lacks the structural homology shared by other complement pattern recognition molecules and has its major function in stabilizing the C3bBb convertase, was found to bind both exogenous and endogenous molecular patterns in a completely C3-dependent manner. We therefore challenge the view of properdin as a pattern recognition molecule, and argue that the experimental conditions used to test this hypothesis should be carefully considered, with emphasis on controlling initial C3 activation under physiological conditions.

Review of how targeting key upstream molecules at the recognition phase of innate immunity exert anti-inflammatory effects; a potential therapeutic regimen for inflammatory diseases.