my.chemie.de
With an accout for my.chemie.de you can always see everything at a glance – and you can configure your own website and individual newsletter.
UZH
Antibodies are molecules with a Y-shaped structure. Sugar structures (red) coupled with the antibody protein play a key role in the function of antibodies. The presence of sialic acid in the sugar causes antibodies to attack and destroy their target cells less aggressively.
Zoom in
Antibodies protect the body against diseases – but can also harm their own organism if the reactions are misdirected. Researchers from the University of Zurich have now discovered that a particular sugar in the antibodies determines whether one of the body’s own cells is destroyed or not. This result could lead to new treatment possibilities for patients with autoimmune diseases.
The immune system is our biological defense shield. Antibodies protect the organism against invading pathogens such as viruses or bacteria. In the case of certain autoimmune diseases, however, this defense behavior is misdirected: The antibodies don’t just target foreign substances; they also attack the body’s own cells. Once the antibody binds to the cell surface, they can activate specific proteins, so-called complement factors, which can damage the cell membrane and thus kill the cell.
A team of researchers headed by Professor Jan Lünemann from the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich has now discovered that a particular sugar structure in the antibody plays a key role in the complement-dependent destruction of the body’s own tissue. Antibodies consist of protein and coupled sugar groups. Earlier studies revealed that antibodies with the sugar structure sialic acid are detectable more rarely in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases than in healthy people.
«We observed that patients suffering from an autoimmune disease felt better the more sialic-acid-carrying antibodies they had in their blood», reports Isaak Quast, a doctoral student in Lünemann’s group and the study’s first author. Different versions of antibody-coupled sugar structures were produced in the lab. «We managed to demonstrate that antibodies containing the sugar sialic acid only destroy the body’s own cells to a very limited extent. Our data indicates that the coupling of sialic acid to antibodies might be a potential strategy in treating patients with autoimmune diseases», summarizes Lünemann.
Mechanism for DNA Invasion of Adenoviral Covid-19 Vaccines Discovered
Adenoviruses have a linchpin protein that stabilizes their DNA until it reaches the infected cell’s nucleus. The protein then detaches from the viral genome, and the virus uncoats. Only then are the genes released into the nucleus, which is necessary for the production of new viruses. This ... more
Microscopy Deep Learning Predicts Viral Infections
When viruses infect cells, changes in the cell nucleus occur, and these can be observed through fluorescence microscopy. Using fluoresence images from live cells, researchers at the University of Zurich have trained an artificial neural network to reliably recognize cells that are infected ... more
Lipid Metabolism Controls Brain Development
A lipid metabolism enzyme controls brain stem cell activity and lifelong brain development. If the enzyme does not work correctly, it causes learning and memory deficits in humans and mice, as researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered. Regulating stem cell activity via lipid m ... more
Because of their genes, some people come into the world either as a lark (early riser) or a night-owl (late sleeper). In addition, however, even in normal people, such ”chronotype“ changes with age. Starting at puberty they develop into revellers. At the age of 20 a change occurs and the ... more
Steven B. Brown studied biochemistry at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. In 1997 he received his doctorate in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. From 1998 – 2005 he was a postdoctoral fellow at ... more
The q&more concept is to increase the visibility of recent research and innovative solutions, and support the exchange of knowledge. In the broad spectrum of subjects covered, the focus is on achieving maximum quality in highly innovative sectors. As a modern knowledge platform, q&more offers market participants one-of-a-kind networking opportunities. Cutting-edge research is presented by authors of international repute. Attractively presented in a high-quality context, and published in German and English, the original articles introduce new concepts and highlight unconventional solution strategies.
> more about q&more
q&more is supported by:
