Selectin-carbohydrate interactions oligosaccharide ligands

Carbohydrate-mediated cell adhesion is an important event which can be initiated by tissue injury or infection and is involved in metastasis. One such adhesion process is the interaction between the glycoprotein E-selectin and oligosaccharides on the surface of neutrophils (white blood cells). The ligand that E-selectin recognizes is the tetrasaccharide sialyl Lewis X (SLe ). Since SLe competes with white blood cells for binding to E-selectin, thus inhibiting the adhesion process, it may useful as an anti-inflammatoiy and anticancer agent. 

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