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, wherein Ra is H, C1-C4-alky, C1-C4alkoxy, CH2C6H5, CH2CH2C6H5, OCH2C6H5, or OCH2CH2C6H5A 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 1B is NHC(O), S or CH2q is 0 to 6, preferably q is 1, 2, 3 or 4, and further preferably q is 1 or 2.
