Nissi Varki

TL;DR: It is shown here that human tumors accumulate Neu5Gc that is covalently attached to multiple classes of glycans, and that the human propensity to develop diet-related carcinomas is contributed to by local chronic inflammation, resulting from interaction of metabolically-accumulated dietary Neu 5Gc with circulating anti-Neu5gc antibodies.

TL;DR: First in vivo evidence for a role of ST6Gal-I in tumor progression was confirmed using a novel approach, which conditionally restored St6gal1 in cell lines derived from the null tumors.

TL;DR: Since the last common ancestor with apes, humans underwent a concerted bidirectional switch in α2–6-linked Sia expression between airway epithelial cell surfaces and secreted mucins, showing that Sia linkage expression patterns can be conserved during millions of years of evolution within some vertebrate taxa while undergoing sudden major changes in other closely related ones.

TL;DR: The human loss of Neu5Gc may alter biological processes involving siglec-1, and possibly, sigleC-4a or -5, the myelin-associated glycoprotein, which may have some preference for Neu 5Gc.

TL;DR: Hematogenous carcinoma metastasis is supported by aggregated platelets and leukocytes, forming tumor cell emboli, and L-selectin facilitation of metastasis progression involves leukocyte-endothelial interactions at sites of intravascular arrest supported by local induction of L- selectin ligands via fucosyltransferase-7.