Structure dictates glycan story

Chemists have discovered that small structural differences in oligosaccharide clusters can lead to dramatic differences in the way they interact with the body. They hope their research can have uses in diagnosing diseases such as cancer.

Oligosaccharides, also known as glycans, are carbohydrates made of more than four or five sugars linked together. Found throughout the body in the form of glycoproteins and glycolipids, they play an important role in processes such as cell-cell recognition and protein folding.  More...

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/September/27091001.asp