[5] N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in the natural environment of wheat is found in the chitin of insects, and the cell membrane of yeast & bacteria.
In those animals sialic acid is found in mucous membranes, e.g. the lining of the inner nose, and digestive tract.
[5] Since WGA binds to glycoconjugates, it can be used to label cell membranes,[8] fibrotic scar tissue[9] and arbuscular mycorrhizae[10] for imaging and analysis.
[11] WGA has also demonstrated some cytotoxicity and has thus been used in recent research involving hematological cancers, particularly acute myeloid leukemia.
[2] In addition, WGA has been thought to improve drug delivery due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, but research has yet to be performed on this hypothesis.