Sugar Linkage Could Lead To Better Treatment For Autoimmune Diseases

ScienceDaily (May 15, 2008) — Researchers at the University of New Hampshire Glycomics Center have helped identify a specific carbohydrate structure that confers anti-inflammatory activity to a glycoprotein antibody that could lead to improved treatment of autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The study, reported in a recent edition of the journal Science, was led by immunologist Jeffrey Ravetch of Rockefeller University.

"Carbohydrates are the glue that pulls things together, the cell surface matrix in which cells communicate, and they provide the connections for signal transduction. It's only been within the last decade that we've realized that such structures are critical for all kinds of biological function," says Reinhold. "Now that we can define precise structures, we can begin to understand their function. This structure-functional relationship will have a huge impact on our health in respect to immune regulation."

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