Glycans News and Research

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TSRI scientists develop novel method to analyze glycan shield on HIV’s glycoprotein

HIV is a master of disguise. The virus uses a shield of sugar molecules, called glycans, to hide from the immune system and block antibodies from attacking it.

28 Mar 2017

Scientists identify genetic clues to chronic kidney disease

Using international genomic studies backed by proof-of-concept cell experiments, researchers have identified two genes that contribute to the chronic kidney disease glomerulonephritis.

16 Mar 2017

New approach could make organometallic catalysis applicable for therapy or diagnostics

A gold catalyst can be delivered to a target organ in a higher organism where it performs a chemical transformation visualized by bioimaging.

17 Feb 2017

Scientists identify sugar molecule that reduces inflammatory response and COPD progression

Using a mouse model, scientists from the RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center for Systems Chemical Biology and a number of other institutes have identified a sugar molecule that reduced the inflammatory response and progress of emphysema, a common component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

27 Dec 2016

Researcher develops new method to accurately identify elusive molecules

Among the most important molecules in the living world are sugars or carbohydrates, which play a vital role in life processes. Sugars provide the main source of fuel for the body, protect muscles from damage and contribute to the immune response.

21 Dec 2016

NIH-funded scientists work with three ‘omes’ to understand human health

Have you ever collected coins, cards, toy trains, stuffed animals? Did you feel the need to complete the set? If so, then you may be a completist. A completist will go to great lengths to acquire a complete set of something.

17 Dec 2016

Okayama University researchers identify link between plant complex type N-glycans and hay fever

Okayama University researchers identify plants expressing substantial amounts of a nitrogen-linked polysaccharide – plant complex type N-glycans – which is linked to allergic responses in mammals, and may provide useful study models for understanding hay fever.

17 Dec 2016

Researchers develop new way to design glycoclusters for targeted drug delivery

A team led by researchers at the RIKEN Biofunctional Synthetic Chemistry Laboratory in Japan has developed a way to engineer glycan complexes--clusters of sugar chains attached to proteins or lipids--in a way that allows the molecules to be transported preferentially to specific organs of the body, depending on the sugar chains contained in the cluster.

29 Nov 2016

Antibody protection may help control infection caused by TB bacteria

A study led by investigators from the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard finds evidence that antibody protection may help control infection with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB).

4 Oct 2016

Scientists identify new group of molecules that could slow tumour growth in prostate cancer patients

Prostate cancer patients have been offered hope after scientists at Newcastle University, UK, have identified a new group of molecules that could be targeted to slow tumour growth.

28 Jul 2016

New hydrogel-based biochip may help in early diagnosis of bowel cancer

Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and a number of other Russian research centers have developed a new method of diagnosing colorectal cancer.

27 May 2016

Certain sugars in the body play key role in colitis, colon cancer development

An Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist has discovered that certain sugars produced by the body play an important role in the development of colitis and, ultimately, colon cancer. The new finding could potentially lead to therapies for ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and colon cancer.

5 May 2016

TSRI scientists track how HIV-fighting antibodies develop over time

In a new study, a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute tracked how a family of these HIV-fighting antibodies develops over time. The research shows how a future vaccine might trigger the immune system to produce these antibodies more effectively.

16 Dec 2015

Biomedical scientists discover mechanism by which secreted proteins age

Physiological processes in the body are in large part determined by the composition of secreted proteins found in the circulatory systems, including the blood. Each of the hundreds of proteins in the blood has a specific life span that determines its unique range of abundance. In fact, measurements of their quantities and activities contribute to many clinical diagnoses.

20 Oct 2015

Glycan binding proteins modify parasite infection in cells of the heart muscle

Chagas disease is the main cause of infectious heart disease in Latin America. Researchers from the INGEBI and IBYME Institutes in Argentina explored the effect of glycan binding protein interactions between the human host and Typanosoma cruzi parasite. They found that a glycan binding protein expressed in humans modified the infection in cells of the heart muscle, showing the importance of galectins in the response to parasite infection.

12 Oct 2015

Agilent and BTI collaborate to address a critical need in biopharmaceutical industry

The collaboration will address a gap in analytical tests and standards applied for drugs based on glycoproteins, which now form the majority of approved biopharmaceutical drugs. Current analytical methods for characterizing glycans are time-consuming and difficult to deploy in commercial environments. They are also limited in their ability to detect and analyze minor glycan species.

15 Jul 2015

NYU chemists find that microRNA can serve as 'decoder ring' for understanding biological functions

MicroRNA can serve as a "decoder ring" for understanding complex biological processes, a team of New York University chemists has found. Their study, which appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, points to a new method for decrypting the biological functions of enzymes and identifying those that drive diseases.

27 May 2015

American scientists develop simple system to detect influenza virus from nasal or throat swabs

Almost every winter sees a new wave of influenza, threatening people by its highly contagious character and severe pathogenesis if those with weak or compromised immune system are infected. But when do sniffing and high temperature only point to a bad cold and when is it real influenza? American scientists have developed a simple system for testing for the influenza virus by just taking nasal or throat swabs and measuring the viral presence amperometrically by assessing the glucose level.

2 Apr 2015

Findings could accelerate development of prebiotic medicines for bowel problems, autoimmune diseases

Bacteria that have evolved to eat their way through yeast in the human gut could inform the development of new treatments for people suffering from bowel diseases.

8 Jan 2015

High speed, high resolution glycan mapping now achievable for mAb characterization

The full characterization of biotherapeutics is required by regulatory authorities as properties such as safety, efficacy and the serum half-life of therapeutic proteins can be affected by differences in their glycosylation pattern. Recombinant monoclonal antibody therapeutics (mAbs) represent the largest group of therapeutic proteins the analysis of the glycan pattern is therefore an essential part of the mAb characterization process.

19 Dec 2014