November 2009

• Vaccine development: Good carbs jump-start the immune system

  Sugar modifications specifically target an antigen to C-type lectins expressed by dendritic cells, promoting its presentation to T cells and boosting the immune response.

  Functional Glycomics Gateway (2009)
  doi:10.1038/fg.2009.35

• Influenza: Minimal sugar for more immunity

  Trimming N-linked oligosaccharides on a viral coat protein affects the specificity and affinity of receptor binding, and might be an effective strategy for vaccine design.

  Functional Glycomics Gateway (2009)
  doi:10.1038/fg.2009.36