The N-glycolyneuraminic acid, a sialic acid: Its relation with the biodiversity and immune and infection processes

From about 50 years ago, the chemical structure and the important biological properties of several sialic acids (the N-acetylneuraminic acid, the N-glycolylneuraminic and two N,O-diacetylneuraminic acids, initially) are known. At present, other 53 sialic acids, at least, have been described. The N-glycolylneuraminic acid exhibits some functional peculiarities, which have contributed to a recent and unexpected interest to it, taken into consideration its implication in certain biological processes such as those indicated in the title of this paper.