C6, also known as Complement component 6, is an essential part of the complement system. The complement system plays a crucial role in the immune response, helping the body to recognize and eliminate pathogens. C6 is specifically involved in the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC), which is composed of complement components C5b-9 and is responsible for causing lytic cell death [1].

In a study on spinal cord injury, researchers generated littermate PVG C6 wildtype and deficient rats to investigate the role of C5b-9 in injury and recovery. The results suggested that C6 deficiency exacerbates pathophysiology after spinal cord injury, highlighting the importance of C6 in this context [1]. Another study reported that C6 deficiency is the most common terminal complement component deficiency and can present later in age with N. meningitidis infections, indicating its significance in preventing neisserial infections [2].

In conclusion, C6 is a vital component of the complement system, playing a key role in immune responses, especially in preventing neisserial infections and influencing the pathophysiology after spinal cord injury. The use of genetic models like the C6-deficient rats has been instrumental in revealing these functions, contributing to our understanding of related disease mechanisms.

References:

1. Su, Diane, Hooshmand, Mitra J, Galvan, Manuel D, Cummings, Brian J, Anderson, Aileen J. 2020. Complement C6 deficiency exacerbates pathophysiology after spinal cord injury. In Scientific reports, 10, 19500. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-76441-3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33177623/

2. Rauscher, Christine K, Fajt, Merritt L, Bryk, Jodie, Petrov, Andrej A. . Clinical implications of C6 complement component deficiency. In Allergy and asthma proceedings, 41, 386-388. doi:10.2500/aap.2020.41.200039. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32867893/