Galectins direct immunity against bacteria that employ camouflage
Monday, May 12, 2014 - 08:31
in Biology & Nature
Our bodies produce a family of proteins that recognize and kill bacteria whose carbohydrate coatings resemble those of our own cells too closely. Called galectins, these proteins recognize carbohydrates from a broad range of disease-causing bacteria, and could potentially be deployed as antibiotics to treat certain infections.