Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, Director: W. Allan Walker
Summary of Research
My research is focused on the glycobiology of human milk, intestinal mucosa, and brain. The emphasis has been on pathogen binding to cell surface glycans of the intestinal mucosa that are targets for common enteropathogens of infants and children, and more specifically on human milk glycans that inhibit this essential first step in pathogenesis. We discovered a series of human milk glycans that inhibit specific pathogens. This research demonstrated that the mechanism whereby the host is protected from these pathogens is through the inhibition of binding by the pathogen to its human host cell surface glycan receptor.
Contact Information
Phone: 617-726-4169
Fax: 617-726-4172
E-mail: dnewburg@partners.org
