CD59 regulates complement activation cascade at the final step, inhibiting formation of
membrane attack complex (MAC). This protein, being anchored to the cell membrane via
glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol (GPI), is expressed ubiquitously on cells which are in contact
with body fluids containing components. Recently, MAC formation has been reported to play
an important role in pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as ischemia or
autoimmune diseases. In this review, we describe the structure and biological activities of …