The invention provides methods for inhibiting immune responses by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the sialyl galactosides that are involved in immune responses. In particular, B lymphocyte-mediated immune responses are mediated by interfering with synthesis of .alpha.2,6 sialylgalactosides, while T lymphocyte-mediated immune responses are inhibited by blocking synthesis of .alpha.2,3 sialylgalactosides. The inhibition is accomplished by, for example, inhibiting the activity of a glycosyltransferase involved in synthesis of the respective sialyl galactoside.

A invenção fornece métodos inibindo respostas imunes inibindo o biosynthesis dos galactosides do sialyl que são envolvidos em respostas imunes. No detalhe, B lymphocyte-mediado respostas imunes está mediado interferindo com a síntese de sialylgalactosides do alpha.2,6, quando as respostas imunes lymphocyte-mediadas T forem inibidas obstruindo a síntese de sialylgalactosides do alpha.2,3. A inibição é realizada por, para o exemplo, inibindo a atividade de um glycosyltransferase envolvido na síntese do galactoside respectivo do sialyl.