Hosts David and Gina endure environmental extremes to understand how resistance emerged—and how we’re fighting it

The work reveals how tiny structural shifts can deliver outsize biological effects

PHILIP BALL | Science is often not a competition between theories but a process of narrative creation in which the paradigm tends to be set by the most persuasive narrative

Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies. The popular cinnamon-sugar soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe. Tips and tricks for making the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe that always receives rave reviews. ...

Premier Danielle Smith and Mark Carney's official announcement signals a significant shift in Canadian politics. The pipeline partnership is expected to have a major impact on the country's economy an...

Covering: 2000 to 2025 The Lamiaceae family, the sixth largest among angiosperms, is renowned for its rich diversity of terpenoids, many of which exhibit remarkable bioactivities, including…

There are many takes on the big Carney-Smith energy agreement – we thought you could use one more. The new Canada–Alberta MOU unveiled last Thursday is already generating more chatter than a pipeline...

College student Any Lucía López Belloza was detained at Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 20 and deported to Honduras two days later.

No matter the substance, these tiny particles are involved in a big way.

Vaccine adjuvants are substances that are coadministered with antigens to enhance the immune response. Lablaboside F, a triterpene oleanolic acid β-linked to two trisaccharide chains on its eastern and western sides, emerged as a promising adjuvant candidate due to exhibiting robust adjuvanticity and low toxicity . We developed a β-stereoselective glycosylation method using a [PhenH]+[BF4]− catalyst to glycosylate oleanolic acid with C2-branched oligosaccharides, synthesizing lablaboside F and structural derivatives (S1–S8) as a result of constructing the target oligosaccharide. This approach simplifies the synthetic process when varying sugars are used and provides a platform for structure–activity relationship studies. Lablaboside F and S1–S8 were tested in vivo and in vitro for adjuvant activity, toxicity, and cytokine production. The entire branched trisaccharide on the western side of lablaboside F is not essential for adjuvant activity. Six derivatives showed low toxicity, while four increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Notably, compound S5, composed of oleanolic acid and the eastern trisaccharide, demonstrated a favorable safety profile in vitro and higher antigen-specific total IgG levels than lablaboside F in vivo, without eliciting IgE production that can lead to allergic reactions. These findings advance our understanding of saponin structure–function relationships and provide a pathway for developing nontoxic adjuvants.