ABSTRACT
Based on their ability to specifically to recognize monosaccharides or larger segments within oligosaccharide side chains of glycoconjugates such as cellular or pathogenspecific glycoproteins, lectins are considered as useful tools in biomedical research, clinical diagnosis and also therapy. Most of these lectins come from plants. Animal lectins are a rather novel group of lectins acting as physiological receptors for cellular glycoproteins and gangliosides. In this chapter the potential role of animal and plant lectins in diagnosis and pathogenesis of AIDS and prion diseases is discussed.
