Synthetic zwitterionic polysaccharides.

Zwitterionic polysaccharides (ZPSs) are a unique class of polysaccharides that are capable of eliciting a T-cell response after being processed by antigen presenting cells and presented on MHC II molecules. In addition, they have also been shown to be potent stimulators of the innate arm of the immune system. To unravel the molecular details of their remarkable immunological activity, various synthetic approaches to assemble fragments towards these polysaccharides have been reported. This review describes these efforts, illustrating the immense challenges presented by these inspiring structures.