Sialic acid
Many pathologies have been linked to the spontaneous interactions between sialic acid and the immunosuppressive sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin (Siglec) receptors on immune cells such as cancer, HIV-1 and Group B Strep Infection. The sialic acid family branches from glycans, sugar chains comprising various monosaccharides that cover the membrane of every living cell and display a staggering structural diversity. Sialic acids function in protein folding, neural development, cellular interactions, among many other physiological processes. As sialic acids are abundantly expressed in vertebrates and not in microorganisms, they are considered self-antigens or self-structures that play major role in inhibiting harmful immune system activity by regulating neutrophils and B cell tolerance.