February 13, 2023 at 7:05 p.m
Every single cell of humans, animals and plants has complex sugar structures on the outside. These glycans are coupled to fats and proteins and protrude from the cell surface like small antennas. Their function is to relay information between the cell and its environment. At the same time, this “sugar fur” also offers docking points for pathogens.
And cancer cells use their sugar coat to multiply and fool the immune system. It wasn’t until regarding twenty years ago that tools were developed to study these sugars. The aim is to gain a more precise understanding of what tasks they have in biological processes and how the glycosylation of cell surfaces changes during the aging process or as a result of diseases. The knowledge gained should serve to develop new methods for the early detection and therapy of tumors, infectious and autoimmune diseases.
