Humans and crown catarrhines evolved with the inability to synthesize the oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal). In turn, they naturally produce high quantities of the glycan-specific antibodies that can be protective against infectious agents exhibiting the same carbohydrate modification on their surface coat. The protective immunity induced by α-Gal is ensured through an antibody-mediated adaptive and cell-mediated innate immune response. Therefore, the α-Gal antigen represents an attractive and feasible target for developing glycan-based vaccines against multiple diseases. In this review article we provide an insight into our current understanding of the mechanisms involved in the protective immunity to α-Gal and discuss the possibilities and challenges in developing a single-antigen pan-vaccine for prevention and control of parasitic diseases of medical and veterinary concern.

人和冠状卡他碱的进化是无法合成寡糖半乳糖-α-1,3-半乳糖（α-Gal）。反过来，它们自然产生大量的聚糖特异性抗体，这些抗体可以保护在其表面被覆层上表现出相同碳水化合物修饰的传染原。通过抗体介导的适应性和细胞介导的先天免疫反应，可以确保由α-Gal诱导的保护性免疫。因此，α-Gal抗原是开发针对多种疾病的基于聚糖的疫苗的有吸引力且可行的靶标。