ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on one particular nanotoxicity phenomenon: complement (C) activation by NPs that are used in therapy and diagnosis, that is, in nanomedicine. The C system is part of the immune system, and immune toxicity is one of the organ toxicities that are relatively unexplored for most NPs (see Chapter 8). The particular clinical relevance of inadvertent C activation by nanomedicines lies in the risks for triggering a hypersensitivity reaction, called C activation-related pseudoallergy (CARPA), and for enhancing immunogenicity, which may interfere with the clinical utility of nanomedicines, turning them into potentially dangerous vaccines. In addition, the direct C attack on nanomedicines may interfere with their efficacy by causing membrane damage and early clearance.
