Animal Lectins: Form, Function and Clinical Applications

Book excerpt: Animal Lectins: Form, Function and Clinical Applications presents up-to-date knowledge of animal lectins. Detailed descriptions on biological activities, tissue and/or subcellular distribution, molecular structure, gene organization, possible functions, clinical applications, lectin-ligand interactions and their intervention for therapeutic purposes are provided. The recently discovered C-type lectins as well as further novel super-families of this group of molecules are described in detail. Furthermore, the clinical significance of animal lectins in inflammatory diseases, defects of immune defense and autoimmunity are described and their application as drugs and therapeutic targets is discussed. With the increasing interest in lectins in biomedical research and their therapeutic applications, this book on animal lectins and associated proteins is a must have for researchers in the area.