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Complement activation

‘Complement-ing’ tissue inflammation via granzyme K?

Nature Immunology volume 26, pages 647–649 (2025)Cite this article

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Distinct proteolytic pathways share convergent activation patterns in many pathological contexts. Two new studies in Nature report on how effector memory-like CD8+ T cells infiltrate inflamed tissues in various disease states and drive tissue-restricted complement activation via the release of granzyme K.

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Fig. 1: GZMK mediates tissue inflammation by triggering extrinsic, non-canonical complement activation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’, Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios C. Mastellos

  2. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    John D. Lambris

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  1. Dimitrios C. Mastellos
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  2. John D. Lambris
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Correspondence to John D. Lambris.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Mastellos, D.C., Lambris, J.D. ‘Complement-ing’ tissue inflammation via granzyme K?. Nat Immunol 26, 647–649 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02120-y

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