C5 antibody guide: find the right antibody for your research
Complement component C5 is a key protein in the terminal pathway of the complement system. Its cleavage generates the potent anaphylatoxin C5a and C5b, which initiates formation of the terminal complement complex (C5b-9). Because C5 and its activation products are involved in inflammation, immune regulation, and complement-mediated tissue damage, they are important targets in complement research.
The choice of C5 antibody depends on what you want to detect or investigate. Do you need to measure intact C5, detect C5a generation, study C5 activation, or investigate the functional effects of C5 inhibition? Different antibodies recognize different forms or fragments of C5 and can therefore provide very different information.
Selecting an antibody for C5 research
To help you select the most suitable antibody, we have summarized our C5 antibody portfolio below. The overview includes antibodies against intact C5 as well as antibodies recognizing C5 activation fragments such as C5a and C5b.
When selecting a C5 antibody, consider:
- Target: C5, C5a, C5b, or a cleavage-associated neo-epitope
- Species reactivity: human, mouse or rat, depending on your experimental model
- Application: such as immunoassay, Western blot, flow cytometry, or functional studies
- Intended use: detection versus functional inhibition
- Activation state: whether you need to distinguish native C5 from its activation products
| Product name | Reactivity | Clone | Applications | Cat.# | Literature | CoA-TDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C5 | Recognizes human C5 and its beta chain; also recognizes C5b6. Does not recognize C6. This monoclonal antibody is human specific and acts as an equivalent of Eculizumab | 10B6 | FS IA W | HM2414 | Original publication | |
| C5 | Recognizes mouse C5. Functional blocking antibody in various mouse models | BB5.1 | IHC-F IHC-P IF FS IA IP | HM1073 | Bioz | |
| C5 | Recognizes mouse C5 | pAb | W | HP8013 | Bioz | |
| C5 | Recognizes human, rabbit and rat C5 and C5b6. Functions as an inhibitory antibody and blocks both the alternative and classical pathways. Functions as an inhibitory antibody | 4G2 | FS IA W | HM3044 | Bioz | |
| C5/C5a | Recognizes the N-terminus of human C5 and reacts with both intact C5 and C5a | 561 | FS IA | HM2076 | Related publication | |
| C5/C5a | Recognizes an epitope of human C5 and its active fragment, C5a | 557 | FS IA W | HM2077 | Bioz | |
| C5/C5b | Recognizes an epitope present on both native C5 and the C5b fragment generated following cleavage of C5 | 568 | IA W | HM2080 | Bioz | |
| C5a/C5a des Arg | Reacts with a neo-epitope on human C5a/C5a des Arg that is formed by proteolytic cleavage of C5 into C5a and C5b during complement activation | 2942 | IHC-F FS IA W | HM2078 | Bioz | |
| C5a/C5a des Arg | Reacts with a neo-epitope on C5a (des Arg) that is formed upon cleavage of C5 into C5a and C5b | 2952 | FS IA W | HM2079 | Bioz | |
| C5a/C5a des Arg | Recognizes human complement protein C5a/C5a des Arg/C5 | C17/5 | FS IA BLI W | HM2445 | Original publication | |
| COMING SOON: C5a/C5a-desArg/C5 (C5a C-term) | Recognizes mouse C5a and C5a des Arg and is also reactive with C5. The epitope is located within the last 19 amino acids of the C-terminal side of the C5a protein | HB17H5 | IA BLI W | HM1159 | Unpublished data | |
| C5a/C5a-desArg/C5 (C5a N-term) | Recognizes mouse C5a and C5a des Arg and is also reactive with C5. The epitope is located within the first 23 amino acids of the N-terminal side of the C5a protein | HB17F12 | IA W | HM1160 | Unpublished data | |
| C5a/C5a-des Arg/C5 | Recognizes mouse C5a and C5a des Arg and is also reactive with C5. The epitope is located within 11 amino acids of the middle part of the C5a protein | HB4D2 | IA W | HM1161 | Unpublished data | |
| C5aR | Recognizes the human receptor for C5aR1 (CD88) | S5/1 | IHC-P FC FS W | HM2094 | Bioz | |
| C5aR | Recognizes human C5aR | W17/1 | IHC-F IHC-P FC IP W | HM2095 | Bioz | |
| C5aR | Recognizes the mouse receptor for C5aR1 (CD88) | 20/70 | IF FC FS | HM1076 | Bioz | |
| C5aR | Recognizes the mouse receptor for C5aR1 (CD88) | 10/92 | IHC-F FC W | HM1077 | Bioz | |
| C5aR | Reacts with the rat receptor for C5aR1 (CD88) | R63 | IHC-F IF FC IA W | HM3017 | Bioz | |
| C5L2 | Reacts with mouse C5aR2 | pAb | FC FS | HP8015 | Bioz | |
| C5L2 | Reacts with human C5aR2 | pAb | IHC-F IF FC W | HP9036 | Bioz | |
| MAC | Recognizes a C9 epitope of the membrane attack complex (MAC; C5b-9) | B7 | IHC-F IHC-P IF IA W | HM2443 | Related publication | |
| TCC | Reacts with a C9 neoantigen of the terminal complement complex (TCC; C5b-9). | aE11 | IHC-F IHC-P IF FC FS IA W | HM2167 | Bioz | |
| TCC | Recognizes a C9 neoantigen within the mouse terminal complement complex (TCC; C5b-9) | 12C3 | IHC-F IA | HM1153 | Bioz | |
| C5b-9 | Recognizes rat C5b-9 (TCC) and competes with human C9 antibodies for the C5b-9 epitope | 2A1 | IHC-F IHC-P IF FC IA | HM3033 | Bioz |
White paper – sTCC/sC5b-9 complement
The sTCC ELISA (cat.# HK328) is a highly specific assay for quantifying terminal complement activation via sTCC in human plasma and serum. It enables reliable assessment of complement activity, supporting disease monitoring, pharmacodynamics, and complement-targeted therapy development. Discover in our white paper how sTCC/sC5b-9 provides a reliable marker for complement activation.
Understanding C5 activation
C5 is a key protein in the terminal complement pathway. When cleaved, it generates C5a, which promotes inflammation and immune-cell recruitment, and C5b, which initiates formation of the C5b-9 membrane attack complex (MAC). The terminal complement complex (TCC), including its soluble form sC5b-9, is a widely used marker of terminal complement activation.
The right antibody depends on your research goal. Antibodies against intact C5 can be used to measure C5 levels, while antibodies recognizing C5a, C5a-desArg, TCC, sC5b-9, or cleavage-associated epitopes can help assess complement activation. Functional antibodies are also available for studying C5 inhibition and complement pathway activity.
Explore our C5 antibodies to find the right tool for your complement research.
