NOTICE:

In 2010, Optherion completed two separate business transactions, one related to its diagnostics business and one related to its therapeutics business.

With respect to its diagnostics business, in February, 2010, Optherion completed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Sequenom, Inc.. Under the agreement, Sequenom’s CAP accredited and CLIA-certified laboratory, Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM), obtained the rights to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests to predict genetic predisposition to late stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Please see News Room at Optherion.com for Sequenom’s press release.

With respect to its therapeutics business, also in 2010, Optherion completed a business transaction with another company. Both the company name and the transaction economics are confidential.

As a result of these two transactions, Optherion, itself, is no longer actively developing any diagnostics or therapeutics. Given this, the Optherion.com website has not been updated since year-end, 2010 albeit the nature of Optherion’s diagnostic and therapeutic endeavors are accurately represented in the website for the time period prior to the transactions.

Kindest regards,

Colin J. Foster
President & CEO
Optherion, Inc.

Complement Factor H (CFH) Mechanism of Action

Complement factor H binds at two independent sites to C-reactive protein in acute phase concentrations.
  • Okemefuna AI, Nan R, Miller A, Gor J, Perkins SJ.
  • J Biol Chem. 2010 Jan 8;285(2):1053-65
Monomeric CRP contributes to complement control in fluid phase and on cellular surfaces and increases phagocytosis by recruiting factor H.
  • Mihlan M, Stippa S, Józsi M, Zipfel PF.
  • Cell Death Differ. 2009 Dec;16(12):1630-40
Factor H-related protein 1 (CFHR-1) inhibits complement C5 convertase activity and terminal complex formation.
  • Heinen S, Hartmann A, Lauer N, Wiehl U, Dahse HM, Schirmer S, Gropp K, Enghardt T, Wallich R, Hälbich S, Mihlan M, Schlötzer-Schrehardt U, Zipfel PF, Skerka C.
  • Blood. 2009 Sep 17;114(12):2439-47.
The disease-protective complement factor H allotypic variant Ile62 shows increased binding affinity for C3b and enhanced cofactor activity.
  • Tortajada A, Montes T, Martínez-Barricarte R, Morgan BP, Harris CL, de Córdoba SR.
  • Hum Mol Genet. 2009 Sep 15;18(18):3452-61.
Electrostatic interactions contribute to the folded-back conformation of wild type human factor H.
  • Okemefuna AI, Nan R, Gor J, Perkins SJ.
  • J Mol Biol. 2009 Aug 7;391(1):98-118
CspA-mediated binding of human factor H inhibits complement deposition and confers serum resistance in Borrelia burgdorferi.
  • Kenedy MR, Vuppala SR, Siegel C, Kraiczy P, Akins DR.
  • Infect Immun. 2009 Jul;77(7):2773-82
Complement factor H binding by different Lyme disease and relapsing fever Borrelia in animals and human.
  • Bhide MR, Escudero R, Camafeita E, Gil H, Jado I, Anda P.
  • BMC Res Notes. 2009 Jul 15;2:134
Structure of complement fragment C3b-factor H and implications for host protection by complement regulators.
  • Wu J, Wu YQ, Ricklin D, Janssen BJ, Lambris JD, Gros P.
  • Nat Immunol. 2009 Jul;10(7):728-33. Epub 2009 Jun 7
Factor H facilitates the clearance of GBM bound iC3b by controlling C3 activation in fluid phase.
  • Paixão-Cavalcante D, Hanson S, Botto M, Cook HT, Pickering MC.
  • Mol Immunol. 2009 Jun;46(10):1942-50
Protein load impairs factor H binding promoting complement-dependent dysfunction of proximal tubular cells.
  • Buelli S, Abbate M, Morigi M, Moioli D, Zanchi C, Noris M, Zoja C, Pusey CD, Zipfel PF, Remuzzi G.
  • Kidney Int. 2009 May;75(10):1050-9. Epub 2009 Feb 25.
Functional comparison of the binding of factor H short consensus repeat 6 (SCR 6) to factor H binding protein from Neisseria meningitidis and the binding of factor H SCR 18 to 20 to Neisseria gonorrhoeae porin.
  • Shaughnessy J, Lewis LA, Jarva H, Ram S.
  • Infect Immun. 2009 May;77(5):2094-103.
The spectrum of phenotypes caused by variants in the CFH gene.
  • Boon CJ, van de Kar NC, Klevering BJ, Keunen JE, Cremers FP, Klaver CC, Hoyng CB, Daha MR, den Hollander AI.
  • Mol Immunol. 2009 May;46(8-9):1573-94
Mutational analyses of the BbCRASP-1 protein of Borrelia burgdorferi identify residues relevant for the architecture and binding of host complement regulators FHL-1 and factor H.
  • Kraiczy P, Hanssen-Hübner C, Kitiratschky V, Brenner C, Besier S, Brade V, Simon MM, Skerka C, Roversi P, Lea SM, Stevenson B, Wallich R, Zipfel PF.
  • Int J Med Microbiol. 2009 Apr;299(4):255-68
Complement activation and inhibition: a delicate balance.
  • Sjöberg AP, Trouw LA, Blom AM.
  • Trends Immunol. 2009 Feb;30(2):83-90. Epub 2009 Jan 12.
Complement factor H: using atomic resolution structure to illuminate disease mechanisms.
  • Barlow PN, Hageman GS, Lea SM.
  • Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;632:117-42.
Binding of the long pentraxin PTX3 to factor H: interacting domains and function in the regulation of complement activation.
  • Deban L, Jarva H, Lehtinen MJ, Bottazzi B, Bastone A, Doni A, Jokiranta TS, Mantovani A, Meri S.
  • J Immunol. 2008 Dec 15;181(12):8433-40.
The complement fitness factor H: role in human diseases and for immune escape of pathogens, like pneumococci.
  • Zipfel PF, Hallström T, Hammerschmidt S, Skerka C.
  • Vaccine. 2008 Dec 30;26 Suppl 8:I67-74.
Complement factor H allotype 402H is associated with increased C3b opsonization and phagocytosis of Streptococcus pyogenes.
  • Haapasalo K, Jarva H, Siljander T, Tewodros W, Vuopio-Varkila J, Jokiranta TS.
  • Mol Microbiol. 2008 Nov;70(3):583-94
Factor H family proteins and human diseases.
  • Józsi M, Zipfel PF.
  • Trends Immunol. 2008 Aug;29(8):380-7. Epub 2008 Jul 2.
Complement factor H: using atomic resolution structure to illuminate disease mechanisms.
  • Barlow PN, Hageman GS, Lea SM.
  • Adv Exp Med Biol, 2008;632:117-42
Functional and structural implications of the complement factor H Y402H polymorphism associated with age-related macular degeneration.
  • Ormsby RJ, Ranganathan S, Tong JC, Griggs KM, Dimasi DP, Hewitt AW, Burdon KP, Craig JE, Hoh J, Gordon DL.
  • Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 May;49(5):1763-70. Epub 2008 Feb 8.
Implications of the progressive self-association of wild-type human factor H for complement regulation and disease.
  • Nan R, Gor J, Perkins SJ.
  • J Mol Biol. 2008 Jan 25;375(4):891-900.
Translational mini-review series on complement factor H: structural and functional correlations for factor H.
  • Schmidt CQ, Herbert AP, Hocking HG, Uhrín D, Barlow PN.
  • Clin Exp Immunol. 2008 Jan;151(1):14-24.
Biochemical analysis of a common human polymorphism associated with age-related macular degeneration
  • Yu J, Wiita P, Kawaguchi R, Honda J, Jorgensen A, Zhang K, Fischetti VA, Sun H.
  • Biochemistry. 2007 Jul 17;46(28):8451-61. Epub 2007 Jun 20.
Defective complement control of factor H (Y402H) and FHL-1 in age-related macular degeneration
  • Skerka C, Lauer N, Weinberger AA, Keilhauer CN, Sühnel J, Smith R, Schlötzer-Schrehardt U, Fritsche L, Heinen S, Hartmann A, Weber BH, Zipfel PF.
  • Mol Immunol. 2007 Jul;44(13):3398-406. Epub 2007 Mar 30.
Structure shows that a glycosaminoglycan and protein recognition site in factor H is perturbed by age-related macular degeneration-linked single nucleotide polymorphism
  • Herbert AP, Deakin JA, Schmidt CQ, Blaum BS, Egan C, Ferreira VP, Pangburn MK, Lyon M, Uhrín D, Barlow PN.
  • J Biol Chem. 2007 Jun 29;282(26):18960-8. Epub 2007 Mar 13.
The C-terminus of complement factor H is essential for host cell protection.
  • Józsi M, Oppermann M, Lambris JD, Zipfel PF.
  • Mol Immunol. 2007 Apr;44(10):2697-706.
The factor H variant associated with age-related macular degeneration (His-384) and the non-disease-associated form bind differentially to C-reactive protein, fibromodulin, DNA, and necrotic cells
  • Sjöberg AP, Trouw LA, Clark SJ, Sjölander J, Heinegård D, Sim RB, Day AJ, Blom AM.
  • J Biol Chem. 2007 Apr 13;282(15):10894-900. Epub 2007 Feb 9.
Y402H polymorphism of complement factor H affects binding affinity to C-reactive protein
  • Laine M, Jarva H, Seitsonen S, Haapasalo K, Lehtinen MJ, Lindeman N, Anderson DH, Johnson PT, Järvelä I, Jokiranta TS, Hageman GS, Immonen I, Meri S.
  • J Immunol. 2007 Mar 15;178(6):3831-6.
Critical role of the C-terminal domains of factor H in regulating complement activation at cell surfaces.
  • Ferreira VP, Herbert AP, Hocking HG, Barlow PN, Pangburn MK.
  • J Immunol. 2006 Nov 1;177(9):6308-16.
Complement factor H: spatial and temporal expression and localization in the eye.
  • Mandal MN, Ayyagari R.
  • Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2006 Sep;47(9):4091-7.
His-384 allotypic variant of factor H associated with age-related macular degeneration has different heparin binding properties from the non-disease-associated form
  • Clark SJ, Higman VA, Mulloy B, Perkins SJ, Lea SM, Sim RB, Day AJ.
  • J Biol Chem. 2006 Aug 25;281(34):24713-20. Epub 2006 Jun 20.
Disease-associated sequence variations congregate in a polyanion recognition patch on human factor H revealed in three-dimensional structure.
  • Herbert AP, Uhrín D, Lyon M, Pangburn MK, Barlow PN.
  • J Biol Chem. 2006 Jun 16;281(24):16512-20.
Localization of the third heparin-binding site in the human complement regulator factor H1.
  • Ormsby RJ, Jokiranta TS, Duthy TG, Griggs KM, Sadlon TA, Giannakis E, Gordon DL.
  • Mol Immunol. 2006 Apr;43(10):1624-32. Epub 2005 Nov 2.
Complement factor h limits immune complex deposition and prevents inflammation and scarring in glomeruli of mice with chronic serum sickness.
  • Alexander JJ, Pickering MC, Haas M, Osawe I, Quigg RJ.
  • J Am Soc Nephrol. 2005 Jan;16(1):52-7. Epub 2004 Dec 1.
The human complement factor H: functional roles, genetic variations and disease associations.
  • Rodríguez de Córdoba S, Esparza-Gordillo J, Goicoechea de Jorge E, Lopez-Trascasa M, Sánchez-Corral P.
  • Mol Immunol. 2004 Jun;41(4):355-67.