How sugar tags on blood proteins are cleared by lectin receptors
Regulation of Blood Glycoproteins by Lectin Receptors in Health and Disease
This project looks at how sugar decorations on blood proteins change their removal by lectin receptors and how that may relate to immune-related and other diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310780 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will identify which circulating blood proteins carry the sugar signals that lectin receptors recognize and bind. They will study how sugar-cutting enzymes and infections alter these signals and how those changes affect protein clearance from the blood. The team will use biochemical methods and mass spectrometry along with cell and animal models, and will compare patterns with human blood samples when available. The goal is to connect changes in blood glycoproteins to disease processes such as autoimmune disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with autoimmune conditions or individuals willing to donate blood samples for research would be the most likely candidates to participate.
Not a fit: Patients seeking an immediate therapy or those with health issues unrelated to blood glycoproteins are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this basic research right away.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new blood-based markers or ways to correct harmful glycoprotein changes that contribute to autoimmune and related diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and animal studies, including earlier work from this group, have shown lectin receptor pathways control glycoprotein lifetimes, but translating these findings to human disease remains relatively new.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marth, Jamey — Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Study coordinator: Marth, Jamey
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.