[Glycosphingolipids and antitumor immunity]

Glycosphingolipids are immunogenic components of cell surface whose composition and structure change during the cell transformation. The contemporary state of the question about the influence of glycosphingolipids on specific and non-specific antitumour immunity is considered. The available information about shedding of glycosphingolipids from the tumour cell surface, about the change of the ganglioside content in blood serum of the tumour host and about the effect of glycolipids on immunocompetent cells is analyzed. The results obtained by the authors in studies of the influence of glycosphingolipids on effector cells of the body natural resistance system to tumour are discussed.