Glyco Immunology

Sugars were very significant in the early history of immunology in defining the identity of antigens which are identified by antibodies. So the skill of these antibodies to uniquely identify glycans and carbohydrate related molecules was exploited in studies defining the size of the antigen-binding site. Many carbohydrate-binding proteins, or lectins, have been recognized on the surfaces of immune cells which intensify the significance of sugars in both innate and adaptive immune responses in development of modern vaccines and immunological therapeutics. Currently glycobiologists and immunologists are now collaborating widely to explore this crucial field in the area of immunobiology.