With each breath, a human may inhale thousands of harmful microbes into the lungs. Mucus, the gel-like moist substance coating the airways, is one of the first lines of defense and aids in removal of these microbes. It entraps bacteria, viruses, dust and pollen to protect the lungs, and the mucus is moved up and out of the airways by the beating of tiny hair-like projections called cilia.
Reduced sialylation of mucin impairs mucus transport in lungs, study shows
