| STUDY |
CARBOHYDRATE MULTIVALENT LIGANDS can control Ab production by B cells by controlling the degree of clustering of the Ab-like receptors found on B-cell surfaces. The work has implications for XENO-TRANSPLANTATION – using animal organs for transplantation into people whose organs are failing. Transplanted organs are normally destroyed by the human immune system when HUMAN “ANTI-GAL” Ab recognize “Gal” antigens (antigens contg galactosyl-alpha- 1,3-galactose groups) on transplanted animal tissues, thus marking the transplants for destruction. Gal antigens occur on animal, but not human tissues. Researchers used some new chemistry they developed top synthesize multivalent carbohydrate ligands that bind to the B cells that produce anti-Gal Ab. In experiments on human spleen cells, one multivalent ligand caused a increase in Ab production, & another ligand of different structure caused a decrease. “We suspect that the differences are due to the way that these cluster B-cell receptors” The ligands suppress or enhance only anti-Gal Ab production, not Ab production as a whole. This suggests that similar carbohydrate-based drugs could make xenotransplantation more feasible |
| UPDATE | 01.02 |
| AUTHOR |
Kiessling Laura L., biochemistry prof. University Wisconsin, Boston Thall Aron, scientist. BioTransplant Xu Yuanxin, scientist. BioTransplant. |
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