NCI Drug Dictionary
The NCI Drug Dictionary contains technical definitions and synonyms for drugs/agents used to treat patients with cancer or conditions related to cancer. Each drug entry includes links to check for clinical trials listed in NCI's List of Cancer Clinical Trials.
- alpha-Gal glycosphingolipids
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A preparation of glycosphingolipids (GSL), containing the disaccharide epitope galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-Gal), with potential antineoplastic activity. Upon intratumoral injection, alpha-Gal glycosphingolipids may stimulate the immune system to mount complement-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) responses against alpha-Gal GSL, which may result in tumor cell death; these responses involve natural anti-alpha-Gal immunoglobulins (Igs). As antibodies that occur naturally due to sensitization to alpha-Gal present on symbiotic bacterial flora, anti-alpha-Gal Igs are present in unusually high amounts in human sera. GSL represent a glycolipid subtype containing the amino alcohol sphingosine; tumor-associated GSL antigens contain various oligosaccharide residues. Check for active clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)
Synonym: galactose(alpha1,3,)galactose glycosphingolipids Abbreviation: GSL alpha-GAL