ELIMINATION OF A CONTAMINATING NON-HUMAN SIALIC ACID BY METABOLIC COMPETITION

摘要

The disclosure provides a method of reducing or eliminating Neu5Gc in a cell culture or in a human subject. The method includes flooding the system with the human sialic acid i/7-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) in glycosidically-bound or free form, or its precursor N- acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) in an amount sufficient to metabolically compete out the Neu5Gc, either as it enters the cells for the first time or when it recycles from breakdown of preexisting cellular molecules. Additionally, Neu5Ac feeding results in reduction of Neu5Gc expression even in some animal cells capable of Neu5Gc production.