Key result
Neu5Gc-terminated glycans are present in animal tissues used for bioprosthetic heart valves and potential xenografts, posing a potential immunogenic barrier in humans who naturally lack this antigen.
Why the study?
Neu5Gc-terminated glycans in animal tissues trigger human immune responses, posing a barrier to the long-term performance of bioprosthetic heart valves and future clinical xenografting.
Neu5Gc is a key xenoantigen present in animal-derived bioprosthetic heart valves and tissues, and understanding its structural complexity is crucial for improving long-term graft performance and developing novel diagnostics.
Should not yet change valve selection; leaves open Neu5Gc's role in xenograft immunogenicity.
-Glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc)-terminated glycans are present in all animal cells/tissues that are already used in the clinic such as bioprosthetic heart valves (BHV) as well as in those that potentially will be xenografted in the future to overcome end stage cell/organ failure. Humans, as a species lack this antigen determinant and can react with an immune response after exposure to Neu5Gc present in these products/cells/tissues. Genetically engineered source animals lacking Neu5Gc has been generated and so has animals that in addition lack the major αGal xenoantigen. The use of cells/tissues/organs from such animals may improve the long-term performance of BHV and allow future xenografting. This review summarizes the present knowledge regarding structural complexity and tissue distribution of Neu5Gc on glycans of cells/tissue/organs already used in the clinic or intended for treatment of end stage organ failure by xenografting. In addition, we briefly discuss the role of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in the xenorejection process and how knowledge about Neu5Gc structural complexity can be used to design novel diagnostics for anti-Neu5Gc antibody detection.
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Breimer et al. (2019) conducted a review in Xenografting and Bioprosthetic Heart Valves. N-Glycolylneuraminic Acid (Neu5Gc)-Terminated Glycans was evaluated. Neu5Gc-terminated glycans are present in animal tissues used for bioprosthetic heart valves and potential xenografts, posing a potential immunogenic barrier in humans who naturally lack this antigen.
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