Synthetic analogs of sialyl Lewis x
The sialyl Lewis x (SLex) tetrasaccharide is the smallest recognizable ligand for selectins. The selectins constitute a vital part of the inflammatory cascade for recruitment of leukocytes to a site of tissue damage or microbial infection. If too many leukocytes are recruited, normal, not injured, cells can be damaged; a process known from chronic inflammatory diseases such as reumatoid arthritis,
