A group from Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China etc. has reported about SIAE-Mediated Loss of Sialic Acid Acetylation Contributes to Ulcerative Colitis (UC).
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12011031/
In this study, the changes in proteins and glycoproteins in UC compared to healthy controls were analyzed by Mass Spectroscopy.
It was found that sialic acids and their acetylation are reduced in tissues of patients with UC, while sialylation and O-acetylation are more abundant in healthy controls.
Sialic acid, particularly when acetylated, plays a protective role in the colon by preventing inflammation through mechanisms such as modulating immune cell interactions and shielding the intestinal lining from harmful bacteria, acting as a barrier against excessive immune response in the gut.