Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Glycosaminoglycans

Glycosaminoglycans

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), also known as mucopolysaccharides, are long and linear polymers comprising of specific repeating disaccharides - the amino sugar that can be N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine, and a uronic acid that is usually glucuronic acid or iduronic acid.
GAGS are found in the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, invertebrates, and bacteria. Due to their polar nature they attract water, and serve as excellent lubricants or shock absorbers in an animal body.
Hyaluronic...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Synthetic Polymers for Drug, Gene, and Vaccine Delivery.

Polymer science & technology (Washington, D.C.)·2026

Same author

Activatable Polymeric STING Agonist-Gold Nanorod Conjugate Driving STING Signaling and Immunogenic Activation in Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy.

Nano letters·2026

Same author

Inhalable viromimetic polymer nanoparticle vaccine (iVPNVax) in a subcutaneous-prime/inhalation-boost vaccination schedule for eliciting durable mucosal and systemic immune protection.

Biomaterials science·2026

Same author

Prognostic significance of CEP55 expression in non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BMC pulmonary medicine·2026

Same author

Simple Hydrophobic Modification of bPEI Confers Potent, STING-Dependent Innate Immunostimulatory Activity.

Biomacromolecules·2026

Same author

Polyamine-Modified Poly(aspartic acid) for mRNA Delivery with <i>In Vivo</i> Lung-Targeted Ability.

Biomacromolecules·2025

Same journal

Fiber and continuum scale contributions to the intrinsic and apparent fracture of soft collagenous tissue <i>via</i> cutting.

Biomaterials science·2026

Same journal

Surface morphology-regulated tissue adhesion in solid and mesoporous silica-reinforced gelatin nanocomposite hydrogels.

Biomaterials science·2026

Same journal

Nanostructured hyaluronic acid-chia mucilage film as bioactive wound dressings for accelerated skin regeneration.

Biomaterials science·2026

Same journal

Tunable bio-inspired hybrid hydrogels reprogram stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for superior wound regeneration.

Biomaterials science·2026

Same journal

Bioorthogonally reinforced injectable granular hydrogels synergizing ECM mimicry with microporosity for skin tissue engineering.

Biomaterials science·2026

Same journal

Modeling a hypoxia-integrated glioblastoma microenvironment to mimic tumor heterogeneity and chemoresistance.

Biomaterials science·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines

Published on: November 25, 2017

Multivalent sialic acid materials for biomedical applications.

Yusong Cao^1,2, Wantong Song^1,2,3, Xuesi Chen^1,2,3

¹Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China. xschen@ciac.ac.cn.

Biomaterials Science

|January 20, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sialic acids are key sugar molecules involved in cell communication and immunity. This review explores their biomedical roles and use in targeted drug delivery for treating inflammation and viral infections.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Dendritic Cells Maturation Using Sialidases-Based Enzymatic Treatment of the Cell Surface

Author Spotlight: Dendritic Cells Maturation Using Sialidases-Based Enzymatic Treatment of the Cell Surface

Published on: October 20, 2023

Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy

Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy

Published on: February 7, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines

Published on: November 25, 2017

Author Spotlight: Dendritic Cells Maturation Using Sialidases-Based Enzymatic Treatment of the Cell Surface

Author Spotlight: Dendritic Cells Maturation Using Sialidases-Based Enzymatic Treatment of the Cell Surface

Published on: October 20, 2023

Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy

Visualizing Intracellular Sialylation with Click Chemistry and Expansion Microscopy

Published on: February 7, 2025

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Immunology
Biomaterials Science

Background:

Sialic acids are monosaccharides found on cell surfaces, crucial for intercellular interactions.
They bind to receptors like selectins and siglecs, mediating processes such as immune surveillance.
Dysregulation of sialic acid interactions is implicated in diseases like immune disorders and viral infections.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the diverse biomedical functions of sialic acids.
To highlight the application of multivalent sialic acid materials in targeted drug delivery.
To discuss therapeutic strategies utilizing sialic acid for anti-inflammatory and anti-viral purposes.

Main Methods:

Literature review of sialic acid's role in physiology and pathology.
Analysis of studies on sialic acid-modified materials for drug delivery.
Synthesis of information on therapeutic applications in inflammation and viral infections.

Main Results:

Sialic acids are vital signaling molecules in immune responses and cell adhesion.
Multivalent sialic acid structures enhance binding avidity for targeted delivery.
Sialic acid-based therapeutics show promise in managing inflammatory and viral conditions.

Conclusions:

Sialic acids possess significant biomedical importance in cellular communication and disease.
Engineered sialic acid materials offer a promising platform for targeted therapeutics.
Further research into sialic acid applications could lead to novel treatments for immune and infectious diseases.