Positioning properdin

Researchers at the University of Leicester have shown that a recombinant properdin produced in collaboration with The Medicines Co. has markedly higher antibacterial activity than the native protein.¹ The researchers are now working to improve the activity and homogeneity of recombinant properdin to treat a broad range of infections.

Properdin is a glycoprotein composed entirely of thrombospondin-like repeat motifs. It is typically found in circulation as a dimer, trimer or tetramer. The protein stabilizes a key enzyme called alternative pathway C3 convertase that amplifies complement system activity...