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Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Castellano: The complement system and its central pillar for innate immune response and relevance for chronic dialysis therapy

Created on 29/03/2023 12:00

Watch Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Castellano talk about complement system and its central pillar for innate immune response and relevance for chronic dialysis therapy

The complement system is well known for its pivotal role in the immune response, but did you know that it also accelerates a detrimental way of aging, so-called "inflammaging"? Prof. Castellano explains how overstimulation of the complement system damages different organ systems and promotes not only Alzheimer's Disease or Age-related Macular Degeneration, but also kidney senescence since certain complement components are uremic toxins. Novel pharmacologic agents aim at inhibiting complement activation, preventing accelerated scenescence and benefitting endothelial cells and patients' cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, the hemodialysis procedure itself contributes to complement activation, and patients with a high level of complement activation are prone to later develop cardiovascular events.

Watch the entire lecture here at the online Nephrology Campus.