PMID: 18724546Aug 30, 2008Paper

Possible application of lectins in diagnostics and therapy. Part I. Diagnostic application

Przegla̧d lekarski
Grazyna KońskaAnna Pituch-Noworolska

Abstract

Lectins are proteins or glyco-proteins binding selectively and without the involvement of enzymes specific for carbohydrate ligands. Lectins are present in organisms on different levels of evolutionary development and play very important roles in life processes of these organisms. Lectins' functioning mechanism is based on the reaction of glycolysation. In vertebrates, functions of lectins are connected with cell recognition, proliferation control, adhesion, cell differentiation, mechanisms of organ creation, and defense mechanisms. Due to their ability to bind reversibly with specific carbohydrate structures, Lectins have commonly been used as a perfect molecular tool in various disciplines of biology and medicine. With the use of modern methods of lectin affinity chromatography (LAC) and various histochemistry methods, lectins provide practical application during observation of changes occurring in the cell membrane in different stages of physiological and pathological development of human or animal organisms. What is particularly important is lectins' contribution to studies on the isolation and structure of glycoconjugates in clinical pathology (including processes of tumor transformation). Serology was the first discipline...Continue Reading

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