THE sugar coating that surrounds our body’s cells could be exploited to
target tumours, by using fragments of the sugars to stop cancer cells in their
tracks
Much of the research into cancer and other diseases has focused on DNA and
proteins. But the long, straight sugar molecules on the surfaces of cells play a
key role in how cells interact with their surroundings. “They are crucial to how
cells filter information coming in from the outside,” says cell biologist Ram
Sasisekharan.
Normally cells maintain a delicate balance, changing their sugar coats only
when their environment demands it. But Sasisekharan…
