The initial step of inflammatory-response is determined by the selective binding between selectins and carbohydrates on the surface of tissue cells and leukemia cells. The studies on selectins, on the structure of their carbohydrate ligands and their glyco-mimetic inhibitors have been a very active field. The recent identification of the specific biological ligands of various selectins leads to new directions for the design of new inhibitors and new anti-inflammatory drugs. The recent progress on these respects is reviewed in this paper.

Key words: CARBOHYDRATE, INFLAMMATION