The final common pathway of all routes of complement activation involves the non-
enzymatic assembly of a complex comprising newly formed C5b with the plasma proteins
C6, C7, C8 and C9. When assembly occurs on a target cell membrane the forming complex
inserts into and through the bilayer to create a pore, the membrane attack complex (MAC).
On some targets, pore formation causes rapid lytic destruction; however, most nucleated cell
targets resist lysis through a combination of ion pumps, membrane regulators and active …