Complement represents one of the phylogenetically oldest cascade systems. Nevertheless, we are only beginning to unravel the wide-ranging involvement of the complement system in human disease. As part of innate immunity, the complement system embodies the “first line of defense” to various initial insults, including trauma, infection, hemorrhage, ischemia, and autoimmunity. While of beneficial intention, excessive complement activation can inadvertently damage healthy host tissues and thereby exacerbate the initial pathological events by causing an “innocent bystander effect.” Over the last decades, our understanding of the complement system has rapidly evolved. Novel activation pathways aside from the traditional classical, alternative, and lectin pathway have been described. Furthermore, selective blockade of the complement activation products, complement receptors, or complement tissue deposition has been shown to ameliorate myriad inflammatory conditions. The development of novel pharmacological compounds selectively targeting the complement system has opened the way to promising novel strategies to advance the presently elusive translation from “bench to beside.”

This special issue will highlight review articles and original research articles exploring complement-induced pathophysiology in humans and experimental animal models and provide insights into innovative therapeutic approaches to ameliorate complement-driven disease. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Advances in understanding complement-induced pathophysiology and specific complement components in disease
• Acute inflammatory conditions, infection, or mechanisms of danger sensing and transmission, and complement-mediated autoimmune disorders
• Development and testing of novel therapeutic avenues targeting complement activation and/or complement deposition
• Insights into the role of complement activation products as novel diagnostic mediators for determining the severity and prognosis in disease
• Characterization of novel animal models mimicking complement-induced inflammatory conditions in humans
• Advances in clinical trials targeting complement activation products to ameliorate complement-mediated pathology

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jir/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: