Towards an understanding of carbohydrate recognition calcium-mediated - synthesis and studies of interactions of oligosacharides in cell-cell adhesion process

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: FMBI972637

Project closed

Start date 1 January 1998

End date 31 December 1998

Funded under

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Total cost No data

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Spain

Objective

Research objectives and content
The aims of this proposal is to study the molecular basis of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions recently proposed as mechanism for adhesion and recognition of normal and tumoral cells. Specific types of glycosphingolipids (GSL) and acidic proteoglycans are involved in this process. The research project will incorporate: (a) The synthesis of oligosacharides, epitopes in the cell adhesion process in sponges. (b) Determination of the tridimensional structure by NMR and molecular simulations. (c) Physical-organic studies on relevants interactions. (d) Studies of adhesion by atom force microscopy. This work is a part of a more ambitious programme on the molecular basis of important natural processes of carbohydrate recognition through investigations on synthetic model and natural systems. The work should lead to a better understanding of carbohydrate recognition for influencing biological processes. Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact)
Synthetic skills and understanding of intermolecular interactions are specially important in this area of biological chemistry. A young scientist involved in this programme will have the opportunity to be trained in a multidisciplinar research area.
Links with industry / industrial relevance (22)
Tumor-associated GSL antigens have been used in the development of antitumoral vaccines. New structures of glycosphingolipids and oligosacharides involved in adhesion process are, therefore, targets for cancer therapy and control of cell proliferation. Actually, the host institution has an industrial collaboration in research in a related area of the project.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › biological sciences › cell biology
• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › microscopy
• medical and health sciences › basic medicine › pharmacology and pharmacy › pharmaceutical drugs › vaccines
• natural sciences › biological sciences › biochemistry › biomolecules › carbohydrates
• medical and health sciences › clinical medicine › oncology

Programme(s)

• FP4-TMR - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0303 - Return grants
• TC03 - Biological, Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)

Coordinator

CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: S/N,Americo Vespucio S/N ; 41092 SEVILLA ; Spain
• Total cost: No data

Participants (1)

Not available

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Total cost: No data