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Abstract

Gerontology & Geriatrics Studies

Sia: The Sugar Code of Life

Submission: December 07, 2017; Published: February 19, 2018

DOI: 10.31031/GGS.2018.02.000531

ISSN: 2578-0093
Volume2 Issue2

Abstract

Our cells are coated with sugar, and when it comes to cancer, that’s anything but sweet. In a recent talk at TED x Stanford, chemist Carolyn Bertozzi explained why. She studies sialic acid, a sugar that seems to deceive the immune system, allowing cancer cells to evade the body’s defenses. This work focuses on the complex, sugary structures surrounding human cells. That foliage-like coating, it turns out, can tell us a lot of our body - it even reveals a patient’s blood type. Sugar and carbohydrates are dangerous supporters of different types of cancer.

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