Advances in the Immunomodulatory Properties of Glycoantigens in Cancer

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Valeria da Costa1, Teresa Freire1

  • 1Laboratorio de Inmunomodulación y Desarrollo de Vacunas, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay.

Cancers
|April 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Aberrant glycosylation, involving tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs), significantly impacts cancer progression and immune evasion. Understanding these aberrant glycans is crucial for developing novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Glycobiology

Background:

  • Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer, influencing tumour progression and immune responses.
  • Tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) are key players in epithelial cancers, affecting patient outcomes.
  • Glycans modulate tumour cell biology, including migration, invasion, and metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current findings on how aberrant glycans influence tumour growth and immunity.
  • To explore the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of TACAs.
  • To highlight unanswered questions in glycan synthesis deregulation and its cellular effects.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on aberrant glycosylation in cancer.
  • Analysis of the role of TACAs in tumour cell biology and immune modulation.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge on glycan-driven cancer progression and immune evasion.

Main Results:

  • Aberrant glycans, including TACAs, impact tumour cell migration, invasion, and metastasis.
  • Tumour-associated glycans can evade the host immune response by interacting with C-type lectin receptors.
  • Glycans play a dual role in cancer, affecting both tumour cell properties and the antitumor immune response.

Conclusions:

  • Aberrant glycosylation is a critical factor in tumour progression and immune evasion.
  • TACAs offer potential as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in various epithelial cancers.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of glycan synthesis deregulation and its impact on cancer cell biology.
Keywords:
C-type lectin receptorscancerglycansimmunomodulationmetastasistumour-associated carbohydrate antigens

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