The spectrum of inflammatory diseases is nowadays considered to include diverse diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Current evidence suggests that syndromes such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) have important inflammatory and immune components and may be amenable to treatment by anti-inflammatory and immunotherapeutic approaches. Compelling evidence has been reported that complement activation occurs in the brain with Alzheimer's disease, and that this contributes to the development of a local inflammatory state that is correlated with cognitive dysfunction. The complement system is a critical element of the innate immune system recognizing and killing, or targeting for destruction, otherwise pathogenic organisms. In addition to triggering the generation of a membranolytic complex, complement proteins interact with cell surface receptors to promote a local inflammatory response that contributes to the protection and healing of the host. Complement activation causes inflammation and cell damage, yet it is an essential component in trying to eliminate cell debris and potentially toxic protein aggregates. It is the balance of these seemingly competing events--the "Yin" and the "Yang"--that influences the ultimate state of neuronal function. Knowledge of the unique molecular interactions that occur in the development of Alzheimer's disease, the functional consequences of those interactions, and the proportional contribution of each element to this disorder, should facilitate the design of effective therapeutic strategies for this disease.

中文翻译：

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阴和阳：补体激活和调节阿尔茨海默氏病。

如今，炎症性疾病的范围被认为包括中枢神经系统（CNS）的多种疾病。目前的证据表明，诸如阿尔茨海默氏病（AD）等综合征具有重要的炎症和免疫成分，可能适合通过抗炎和免疫治疗方法进行治疗。据报道，有令人信服的证据表明补体激活在患有阿尔茨海默氏病的大脑中发生，并且这促进了与认知功能障碍相关的局部炎症状态的发展。补体系统是先天免疫系统识别，杀死或靶向破坏病原性生物的关键要素。除了触发膜分解复合物的产生外，补体蛋白与细胞表面受体相互作用，促进局部炎症反应，有助于保护和治愈宿主。补体激活会引起炎症和细胞损伤，但它是试图消除细胞碎片和潜在毒性蛋白聚集体的重要组成部分。这些看似相互竞争的事件（“阴”和“阳”）之间的平衡会影响神经元功能的最终状态。了解阿尔茨海默氏病发展过程中发生的独特分子相互作用，这些相互作用的功能后果以及每种元素对该疾病的比例贡献，应有助于设计该疾病的有效治疗策略。