Protein states
Investigate whether meaningful differences in C3 states can guide an intervention strategy.
Immunity & inflammation / Complement
Toward more precise control of complement
Complement helps protect the body, yet can also contribute to tissue injury. We are exploring whether differences in the states of a key complement protein could open new ways to influence its activity.
Early research · Complement biology and intervention strategy
The opportunity
Connect disease control with the immune functions people need
For teams working on complement-mediated disease, a useful intervention must be evaluated in the context of both tissue injury and immune defence. Our direction centres on C3 and asks whether its different protein states could inform a more precise approach to modulating complement activity.
Our research direction
Investigate what a change in protein state could make possible
Proteins can present different intervention opportunities as they change state. We want to examine whether that distinction is useful for C3, how engagement would affect complement function and which disease context would provide an informative first evaluation. State preference would need to be connected to biological effects; activated complement also participates in normal immune defence.
Functional effects
Evaluate effects on relevant complement activity and normal defence functions together.
Disease fit
Choose an initial setting based on its biology, available models and a useful comparison.
Where we could connect
Help choose the setting where the question matters most
Complement biology, disease-model and translational specialists could help connect this direction with a focused development opportunity. A first collaboration could identify a relevant protein-state comparison, a functional readout and the evidence needed to select an initial disease setting.
Explore BioTwin capabilities ↗Questions worth asking
Before we begin
Would state preference mean activity only in diseased tissue?
No. A preference for a protein state would not by itself establish disease-only activity or tissue selectivity. The proposed approach needs evaluation in both disease-relevant and normal immune contexts.
Could this preserve normal immune defence?
Preserving useful immune function is a development objective. It would need direct evaluation alongside the intended effect on complement-mediated injury; the molecular strategy alone cannot establish a safety advantage.
Which condition would you start with?
The initial disease setting is a research decision still to be made. A partner's disease expertise, suitable models and development priorities could help identify where the question is most informative.
How would this compare with existing complement medicines?
The comparison should address the intended use and the relevant point in the pathway. We would want to define what additional benefit a state-focused approach could offer and what evidence would establish it.
External scientific context
Published background for the research question.
Start a conversation
Could protein-state biology help answer your complement question?
Bring your objective, the question you want to resolve and a little non-confidential context. We can discuss the fit and a useful next step.