Targeting complement factor H for treatment of diseases

1. A complement receptor 2 (CR2)-factor H (FH) molecule comprising:

a) a CR2 portion comprising a CR2 or fragment thereof, and

b) an FH portion comprising an FH, or a biologically active fragment thereof, capable of inhibiting activation of the alternative complement pathway,

wherein the CR2-FH molecule is capable of binding to a CR2 ligand, and

wherein the CR2-FH molecule is capable of inhibiting activation of the alternative complement pathway.

2. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the CR2 portion comprises at least the first two N-terminal short consensus repeat (SCR) domains of CR2.

3. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the CR2 portion comprises at least the first four N-terminal SCR domains of CR2.

4. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the FH portion comprises at least the first four N-terminal SCR domains of FH.

5. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the FH portion comprises at least the first five N-terminal SCR domains of FH.

6. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the CR2-FH molecule comprises two or more FH portions.

7. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 6 , wherein the two or more FH portions are tandemly linked.

8. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the CR2 portion comprises the first four N-terminal SCR domains of CR2 and the FH portion comprises the first five N-terminal SCR domains of FH.

9. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 8 , wherein the CR2 portion comprises amino acids 23 to 271 of SEQ ID NO:1 and the FH portion comprises amino acids 21 to 320 of SEQ ID NO:2.

10. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 , wherein the CR2-FH molecule is a fusion protein.

11. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a CR2-FH molecule of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the composition is suitable for intraocular, intravitreal, intravenous, intraarterial, intraperitoneal, sub-cutaneous, intratracheal, oral or inhalational administration.

13. The CR2-FH molecule of claim 11 , wherein the composition is suitable for systemic or localized administration.

14. A polynucleotide encoding the fusion protein of claim 10 .

15. A vector encoding the polynucleotide of claim 14 .

16. A host cell comprising the polynucleotide of claim 15 .

17. A method of treating a disease in which the alternative complement pathway is implicated in an individual, comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 .

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the individual is a human.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the disease in which the alternative complement pathway is implicated is any of macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, ischemia reperfusion, organ transplant rejection, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, type II (MPGN 11), hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and lupus nephritis.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the disease in which the alternative complement pathway is implicated is age-related macular degeneration.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the disease in which the alternative complement pathway is implicated is ischemia reperfusion.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the disease in which alternative complement pathway is implicated is organ transplant rejection.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the HUS is factor-H related.

24. A method of treating an individual having a disease in which the alternative complement pathway is implicated, wherein the disease is characterized by symptoms comprising microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 .

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the individual is a human.