Figure 2:

Proposed mechanism of actions of how HMOs can prevent viral adhesion to gut epithelial cells. A) In the absence of HMOs, viruses recognize surface glycans that are necessary for pathogenic adhesion, the first step in establishing infection. B) HMOs resemble surface glycans, acting as soluble decoy receptors and blocking the attaching of viral pathogens to the epithelial cells. C) HMOs additionally can indirectly prevent viral adhesion through binding to the epithelial surface causing a structural change in the receptor.