title: Selectins--glycoprotein targets for therapeutic intervention in inflammation.
abstract: Inflammation can be a beneficial response in the host for the control of infection and injury. However, occasionally, the inflammatory response can result in acute systemic collapse or, more frequently, a chronic reaction such as that observed in autoimmune disease, Crohn's disease and asthma. Injury to tissues or organs results in leukocyte adhesion to the endothelial cell surface, followed by diapedesis. Investigation of the initial leukocyte-endothelium adhesion processes has clearly shown the involvement of an inducible set of molecules, called selectins, on the endothelial and leukocyte cell surfaces. These molecules are of interest as the interactions with their respective ligands appear to involve carbohydrates. The exact nature of these interactions is still being elucidated. Therapeutic intervention using carbohydrate small-molecule mimetics may be beneficial in the modification of the inflammatory process.
authors.affiliation: Oxford GlycoSystems, Blacklands Way, Abingdon, UK.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Parekh
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Edge
mesh_terms: D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D019040:E-Selectin; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D019041:L-Selectin; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019007:P-Selectin; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019007:P-Selectin; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D019041:L-Selectin