[8] These conditions are characterised by the ordered aggregation of normal globular proteins and peptides into insoluble fibres, which disrupt tissue architecture and are associated with cell death.

[9] This association is utilised in the routine clinical diagnostic technique of SAP scintigraphy whereby radio-labelled protein is injected into patients to locate areas of amyloid deposition.

[10] The SAP-amyloid association has also been identified as a possible drug target for anti-amyloid therapy, with the recent development and first stage clinical trials of a compound called CPHPC (R-1-[6-[R-2-carboxy-pyrrolidin-1-yl]-6-oxohexanoyl] pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid), a small molecule able to strip AP from deposits by reducing levels of circulating SAP.

[11] SAP is a member of the pentraxins family, characterised by calcium-dependent ligand binding and a distinctive flattened β-jellyroll structure similar to that of the legume lectins.

[12] The name "pentraxin" is derived from the Greek words for five (penta) and berries (ragos), relating to the radial symmetry of five monomers forming a ring approximately 95 across and 35 deep.