| abstract |
The invention relates to the use of sialic carbohydrates of general formula (I), containing at least one carbohydrate unit of general formula (II) for the immune modulation, immune suppression and in the prevention and treatment of infections in humans and animals. In said formula (II), Sia represents a sialic acid or a sialic acid derivative in an alpha 2-3 bond, Gal represents a galactose-monosaccharide-unit, HexNac represents an N-acetylated galactosamine or glucosamine-monosaccharide-unit (GalNAc or G1cNAc), Hex represents a galactose- or glucose-monosaccharide-unit (Ga1 or G1c), C represents HexNac or Hex or is absent, n represents 1 - 50, V represents OH, a carbohydrate radical or a connecting point on a support T, with the proviso that if V represents OH, n represents 1, and if V represents a carbohydrate radical or a support T, n represents the number of carbohydrate unites of general formula (II) directly connected to said carbohydrate radical or support, X represents a sialic acid or a sialic acid derivative, wherein a second sialic acid or a sialic acid derivative or more sialic acid or sialic acid derivatives can be connected to an alpha 2-8 bond, a phosphate, a sulphate, or carboxyl-group or a monosaccharide having a phosphate, sulphate, or carboxyl group and only one of the radicals X is present. |