The industry argues that sugars are forms of carbohydrate, which we need in our diet, and that we should cut calories by eating less, but there is no specific reason to target sugar.
The new work--led by Vasso Apostolopoulos of the Austin Research Institute in Heidelberg, Australia--targets sugar molecules on the surface of a protein called mucin (MUC1), which is secreted by epithelial cells of mucous membranes in the kidney, lung, breast, and other tissues.
A series of chemical modifications of chitosan were conducted by grafting a hydrophilic methoxy poly ethylene glycol) (MPEG) and a target sugar molecule lactobionic acid (LA).
It has been noted that intervention strategies targeting sugar feeding in outdoor environments have a great potential to add to ecologically-based IVM for malaria control in Africa [6].
Our functional screen specifically targeted sugar transporters belonging to the major facilitator superfamily, the largest family of characterized sugar transporters.
However, since ligand-receptor binding is a stochastic process, the probabilistic nature of adhesion between the lectin and its target sugar needs to be taken into consideration when mapping is intended.
There are a long list of reasons to target sugared beverages first, he told the BBC.
More than 15 countries have targeted sugar-sweetened beverages by taxing them -- a strategy that's proven successful.
Our results convincingly show that the availability of sugar sources in the local environment is a major determinant regulating the dynamics of mosquito populations and their vector potential, suggesting that control interventions targeting sugar-feeding mosquitoes pose a promising tactic for combating transmission of malaria parasites and other pathogens.
In addition to targeting sugar-sweetened beverage intake, future interventions could also identify cost-effective and scalable ways to improve access to preventive care.
Once the tip-tethered lectin binds onto a particular mucin chain, the proximity of target sugars available to the lectin will be significantly closer on the bound chain than any of the others unless they were very tightly packed.
