Probing the interaction of sugar polymers with chemoattractants for therapeutic application – GLYCOMIG

Of the four fundamental macromolecular components necessary for life, complex carbohydrates (glycans) are probably the most structurally diverse. Glycans cover each cell in the human body, decorate almost all secreted proteins and have been shown to play roles in nearly every biological and pathological processes. Many functional roles of glycans are related to their recognition by lectins, which are carbohydrate-binding proteins. However, the physicochemical properties of certain glycans allow them to interact with proteins other than lectins. A body of data obtained recently in our laboratory, supported by reports in the literature, suggests that a specific carbohydrate polymer, produced naturally in our body, may directly or indirectly control chemotaxis and trafficking of immune cells either by acting as a co-receptor for chemotactic proteins or by regulating the biosynthesis of another family of carbohydrates known to interact with chemotactic proteins.
In this context, this project aims to:
1) demonstrate the direct or indirect contributions of this carbohydrate polymer in immune cell chemotaxis;
2) perform a structural study to better characterize the modes of interaction between carbohydrate polymers and chemotactic proteins;
3) evaluate in vivo the anti-inflammatory potential of this carbohydrate polymer in infectious diseases involving inflammation-driven tissue or organ damage, including tuberculosis and COVID-19.