Even though Neu5Gc is not known to be produced by any mechanism in the human body (due to lack of genes), our bodies do interact with trillions of microorganisms that are capable of complex biological reactions. Neu5Gc is reported to be found in concentration in human cancers, as well as in fecal samples, suggesting that humans ingest Neu5Gc as part of their diets. Uptake is thought to be by macropinocytosis, and the sialic acid can be transferred to the cytosol by a sialin transporter. It is possible that the immune system then recognizes the molecule as foreign, and that the binding of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies may then cause chronic inflammation. This assumption has yet to be concretely proven, however.[4] Further studies have shown that humans have Neu5Gc-specific antibodies, often at high levels.[3] Feeding Neu5Gc knockout mice Neu5Gc-rich diets along with anti-Neu5Gc antibodies (attempting to mimic a human system) causes systemic inflammation in the mice, and they are five times as likely to develop hepatocarcinomas.[9][10] However, a study released in September 2018 found no evidence that exposure to higher levels of anti-Neu5gc antibodies increased colon cancer risk.[11] The increased values of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in patients with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's disease raise the possibility of an association between anti-Neu5Gc antibody development and autoimmune hypothyroidism.[12]
Prevalence of Anti-Neu5Gc Antibodies in Patients with Hypothyroidism
Background. N-Glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) is a sialic acid synthesized by animals, but not by humans or birds. However, it can be incorporated in human...
Anti-glycan antibodies: roles in human disease - PubMed
Carbohydrate-binding antibodies play diverse and critical roles in human health. Endogenous carbohydrate-binding antibodies that recognize bacterial, fungal, and...
Ribosome - protein factory - definition, function, structure and biology
Ribosomes are complex molecular machines that make proteins inside cells. Ribosomes consist of two subunits - larger and smaller, made by a complex of RNA and pr...
