Abstract: Compounds of general formula (I), salts or solvates thereof and pharmaceutical compositions containing same: wherein Z is N or CH or the Z(R1) part is replaced with a covalent bond, m and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; HET is heteroaryl; X is CF3, halogen, CO-heterocyclyl, COOR3 or CONHR3; R1 is H, (CH2)o-aryl, (CH2)p-heteroaryl, (CH2)q-biphenyl; C(O)—R5; S(O)2—R6; R2 is H, aryl, heteroaryl, Y—(CH2)r-aryl, Y—(CH2)s-heteroaryl, where some of the above substituents may be substituted; Y is O or S; with the exclusion of the compound where HET is 1,3-thiazol, X is COOH, R1 is 4-fluorophenyl and R2 is benzyloxy. The invention also relates to the use of a compound of general formula (I), salts or solvates thereof for the use in the prevention or treatment of diseases where the activation of MMPs is involved in the pathomechanism. In this aspect the use of the above excluded compound is also inventive.

Abstract: The invention relates to unglycosylated folded C-terminal fragments of a multidomain serine protease of the complement cascade obtainable by expression in a bacterial host, wherein said serine protease is capable of binding a recognition molecule of the complement cascade, e.g. C1 or MBL. The invention also relates to methods and bacterial expression vectors for the preparation of said fragments, uses of said fragments for raising antibodies and screening substrates or inhibitors of said serine proteases and uses of the fragments in research and treatment of complement related disorders. The invention also relates to assay methods for assessing MASP-1 and MASP-2 levels in a sample of biological origin. The invention provides for research tools, assays and diagnostic kits useful in complement research and research and diagnosis of complement related disorders.

Abstract: The invention relates to unglycosylated folded C-terminal fragments of a multidomain serine protease of the complement cascade obtainable by expression in a bacterial host, wherein said serine protease is capable of binding a recognition molecule of the complement cascade, e.g. C1 or MBL. The invention also relates to methods and bacterial expression vectors for the preparation of said fragments, uses of said fragments for raising antibodies and screening substrates or inhibitors of said serine proteases and uses of the fragments in research and treatment of complement related disorders. The invention also relates to assay methods for assessing MASP-1 and MASP-2 levels in a sample of biological origin. The invention provides for research tools, assays and diagnostic kits useful in complement research and research and diagnosis of complement related disorders.