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Review
. 2021 Apr 26:39:511-536.
doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101819-074237. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Glycans in Immunologic Health and Disease

Affiliations
Review

Glycans in Immunologic Health and Disease

Julie Y Zhou et al. Annu Rev Immunol. .

Abstract

The surfaces of all living organisms and most secreted proteins share a common feature: They are glycosylated. As the outermost-facing molecules, glycans participate in nearly all immunological processes, including driving host-pathogen interactions, immunological recognition and activation, and differentiation between self and nonself through a complex array of pathways and mechanisms. These fundamental immunologic roles are further cast into sharp relief in inflammatory, autoimmune, and cancer disease states in which immune regulation goes awry. Here, we review the broad impact of glycans on the immune system and discuss the changes and clinical opportunities associated with the onset of immunologic disease.

Keywords: autoimmunity; cancer; glycan; glycan-binding protein; host-pathogen interactions; immune evasion; immune regulation; self/nonself.

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