Carbohydrate ligands that bind to antibodies against glycoepitopes of glycosphingolipids

The invention relates to carbohydrate ligands and moieties, respectively, mimicking glycoepitopes comprised by glycosphingolipids of the nervous system, particularly glycoepitopes comprised by glycosphingolipids of the cerebroside, the globoside-, the ganglioside- and the sulfoglucuronyl paragloboside type, which are bound by anti-glycan antibodies associated with neurological diseases. The invention further relates to the use of these carbohydrate ligands/moieties, in diagnosis as well as for the treatment of neurological diseases associated with anti-glycan antibodies. In particular, the invention relates to compounds of formula (I) and (II) and to therapeutically acceptable polymers comprising a multitude of these compounds, including polymers with loading of one compound of formula (I) or (II) or combinations of several compounds of formula (I), and/or (II). The compounds of formula (I) are defined as:whereinRI1 is Z orwhereinRI2 is H, SO3H, orwhereinRI3 is H orwhereinRI4 is H orwhereinRI5 and RI6 are independently H orwhereinRI7 is H orand compounds of formula (II) are defined as:whereinRII1 is Z orwhereinRII2 is Z orwherein Z is -N(Ra)-A-B-CH2-(CH2)q-SH, whereinRa is H, C1-C4-alky, C1-C4alkoxy, CH2C6H5, CH2CH2C6H5, OCH2C6H5, or OCH2CH2C6H5;A is C1-C7-alkylene, C1-C7-alkoxy, C1-C4-alkyl-(OCH2CH2)pO-C1-C4-alkyl, or C1-C7-alkoxy-Rb, wherein Rb is an optionally substituted aryl or an optionally substituted heteroaryl, and wherein p is 0 to 6, preferably p is 1, 2 or 3, and further preferably p is 1;B is NHC(O), S or CH2;q is 0 to 6, preferably q is 1, 2, 3 or 4, and further preferably q is 1 or 2.