October 2008

• Tumor cell invasion: Sugars let cells glide ahead

  Low-molecular weight chondroitin sulfate molecules in the extracellular matrix promote metalloprotease-mediated cleavage of CD44's extracellular domain, thereby promoting the invasion of tumors into the surrounding tissue.

  Functional Glycomics Gateway (2008)
  doi:10.1038/fg.2008.45

• T cell maturation: The ups and downs of sialylation

  Mice lacking the sialic acid transferase ST6Gal I show a significant reduction in T cells throughout T-cell maturation and an upregulation of proapoptotic genes.

  Functional Glycomics Gateway (2008)
  doi:10.1038/fg.2008.46