💻 Technology 21h ago · Anne Trafton

A natural protein may protect the GI tract from infection

MIT Technology Review
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Embedded in the body’s mucosal surfaces, proteins called lectins bind to sugars found on cell surfaces. A team led by MIT chemistry professor Laura Kiessling has found that one such protein, intelectin-2, both helps fortify the mucosal barrier and offers broad-spectrum protection against harmful bacteria found in the GI tract. 



Intelectin-2 binds to a sugar molecule called galactose that is found on bacterial membranes, the team found, trapping the bacteria and hindering their growth; th

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