The role of glycans in cancer development and progression. Clinical applications

Changes in glycosylation pattern of cell surface, body fluids and extracellular matrix glycoconjugates is a characteristic feature of tumor cell malignancy. These changes are the result of mutations of tumor-associated genes as well as epigenetic changes in the tumor environment, including nutrient influx, hypoxia, cytokine expression and stimulation of chronic inflammation. The unique set of cell surface glycoantigens on neoplastic cells is recognized by endogenous lectins located in the extracellular matrix, vascular endothelium, on leukocytes or platelets, and has an impact on disrupting basic cellular processes, such as intercellular recognition, cell-cell adhesion or cell-ECM interaction. These changes have a critical impact on the migration, invasive and metastatic potential of neoplastic cells and modulate the immune response. This unique pattern of sugar antigens on the cancer cells can be a vaulable marker to identify them, determine the stage of the disease as well as be a target of anti-cancer therapy.