Leveraging fluorinated glucosamine action to boost antitumor immunity.

Leveraging fluorinated glucosamine action to boost antitumor immunity. Curr Opin Immunol. 2012 Dec 6; Authors: Dimitroff CJ Abstract N-acetyllactosaminyl glycans are key regulators of the vitality and effector function of antitumor T cells. When galectin-1 (Gal-1) binds N-acetyllactosamines on select membrane glycoproteins on antitumor T cells, these cells either undergo apoptosis or become immunoregulatory. Methods designed to antagonize expression or function of these N-acetyllactosamines on N-glycans and O-glycans have thus intensified. Since tumors can produce an abundance of Gal-1, Gal-1 is considered a critical factor for protecting tumor cells from T cell-mediated antitumor activity. Recent efforts have capitalized on the anti-N-acetyllactosamine action of fluorinated glucosamines to treat antitumor T cells, resulting in diminished Gal-1-binding and higher antitumor T cell levels. In this perspective, the prospect of fluorinated glucosamines in eliminating N-acetyllactosamines on antitumor T cells to boost antitumor immunity is presented. PMID: 23219268 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Current Opinion in Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Curr Opin Immunol Source Type: research