Translational glycobiology: from bench to bedside

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology

Background:

• Sugars (carbohydrates) play a crucial role in protein function with significant clinical implications.
• Technological advancements facilitate large-scale studies on individual and temporal variations in sugar profiles.
• Emerging techniques like 3D mass spectrometry offer novel ways to visualize pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the clinical relevance of sugar variations in biological systems.
• To investigate the potential of carbohydrate recognition in developing new diagnostics and therapeutics.
• To examine the relationship between glycan age and biological age.

Main Methods:

• Large population studies utilizing advanced technology for sugar analysis.
• Three-dimensional mass spectrometry applied to solid pathological specimens.
• Correlation analysis between glycan age and biological age metrics.

Main Results:

• Individual and temporal sugar variations are becoming increasingly understood.
• 3D mass spectrometry promises enhanced pathology visualization.
• Glycan age is shown to correlate with biological age, suggesting potential for age reversal mapping.

Conclusions:

• Carbohydrate recognition offers a pathway to novel therapeutics and biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Glycan age serves as a potential indicator of biological age, with implications for monitoring interventions like exercise and diet.