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Targeting Glycosylation: A New Road for Cancer Drug Discovery

Ana Filipa Costa1, Diana Campos1, Celso A Reis2

  • 1i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IPATIMUP - Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.

Trends in Cancer
|May 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Alterations in cancer cell glycosylation are key biomarkers. New methods now enable glycan-based drug discovery for effective cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Oncology
  • Glycobiology

Background:

  • Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer, with cancer-associated glycans serving as crucial biomarkers.
  • Despite their therapeutic potential, glycans have been historically underutilized in cancer drug discovery due to complexity and methodological limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the promise of targeting cancer-associated glycosylation for novel drug development.
  • To discuss recent advances in methodologies that facilitate glycan-focused cancer research.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current understanding of cancer-associated glycosylation.
  • Discussion of emerging techniques including glycoengineering and high-throughput screening (HTS).

Main Results:

  • Glycosylation alterations are a reliable indicator of cancer.
  • Recent technological advancements are overcoming previous barriers in studying glycans.
  • Glycan-based targeting presents a promising frontier for cancer therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting cancer-associated glycans offers a significant opportunity for developing effective cancer drugs.
  • Advancements in glycoengineering and HTS are paving the way for a new era in cancer therapeutics.
Keywords:
cancer drugscancer treatmentglycosylationhigh-throughput screening (HTS)target therapy

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