Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
09:25
Lectin-based Isolation and Culture of Mouse Embryonic Motoneurons
Published on: September 15, 2011
18.6K
Lectins as Ligands for Directing Nanostructured Systems
Ramaswamy Viswambari Devi1, Michael Rajam Basil-Rose1
1Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology, Holy Cross College, Nagercoil-629 004, Tamil Nadu, India.
Current Drug Delivery
|January 9, 2018
Summary
Lectins, proteins that bind carbohydrates, show promise for disease diagnosis and targeted drug delivery. Lectin-functionalized nanoparticles offer precise targeting of diseased cells, minimizing side effects.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanomedicine
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Lectins are proteins/glycoproteins of non-immunological origin, present in all organisms.
- Diseased tissues exhibit altered glycan structures compared to normal tissues.
- Lectins' specific interaction with glycans presents opportunities for disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the development and applications of lectin-functionalized nanoparticles.
- To explore their role in targeted drug delivery, therapies, and oral immunization.
- To discuss the technical challenges in designing and targeting these nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on lectin-functionalized nanoparticles.
- Analysis of lectin-glycan interactions for targeted applications.
- Examination of nanobiotechnology approaches for nanoparticle functionalization.
Main Results:
- Lectin-functionalized nanoparticles can specifically target aberrant glycans on diseased cells.
- These nanoparticles facilitate targeted drug delivery, reducing systemic side effects.
- Applications extend to targeted therapies and oral immunization strategies.
Conclusions:
- Lectin-functionalized nanoparticles represent a significant advancement in targeted medicine.
- Their specificity offers potential for early disease diagnosis and effective treatment.
- Overcoming design and targeting challenges is crucial for clinical translation.
Related Concept Videos
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
15.3K
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
15.3K
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
8.9K
8.9K
02:51Metal-Ligand Bonds
24.5K
The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
24.5K
00:49Ligand Binding and Linkage
5.7K
Allosteric proteins have more than one ligand binding site; the binding of a ligand to any of these sites influences the binding of ligands to the other sites. When a protein is allosteric, its binding sites are called coupled or linked. In the case of enzymes, the site that binds to the substrate is known as the active site and the other site is known as the regulatory site. When a ligand binds to the regulatory site, this leads to conformational changes in the protein that can influence...
5.7K
00:49Ligand Binding and Linkage
4.2K
4.2K
01:18Second Order systems II
414
In an underdamped second-order system, where the damping ratio ζ is between 0 and 1, a unit-step input results in a transfer function that, when transformed using the inverse Laplace method, reveals the output response. The output exhibits a damped sinusoidal oscillation, and the difference between the input and output is termed the error signal. This error signal also demonstrates damped oscillatory behavior. Eventually, as the system reaches a steady state, the error diminishes to zero.
414