ENDOGENOUS PLASMA LYSOZYME AS A CANDIDATE MOLECULE FOR CONTROL OF PLASMA MEMBRANE CARBOHYDRATE STATUS AND PREVENTION OF CARCINOGENESIS

Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of tumor cells. It is supposed that it masks the receptors on plasma membranes, and the cell loses the ability to react to apoptosis signals and such cells become immortal. An organism must have mechanisms to control any change in cells that can bring drastic changes to the whole organism and to remove such unwanted cells. Natural antibodies to sugars are considered as such agents mediating the death of such potentially dangerous cells. However, blood plasma contains an enzyme - lysozyme which is a glycoside hydrolase and can potentially remove such aberrant carbohydrates restoring the cells' ability to undergo apoptosis.