Cancer cells and viruses share common glycoepitopes: exciting opportunities toward combined treatments

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Oncology

Background:

• Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer, driving vaccine development.
• Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, particularly O-linked glycans on mucins, are key targets for cancer vaccines.
• Viral glycoproteins share N- and O-linked glycosylation patterns with cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of glycoconjugate vaccines for targeting shared glycoepitopes in both cancer and viral infections.
• To investigate the structural similarities between cancer-associated and viral O-linked glycans.
• To assess the feasibility of a dual-purpose vaccine strategy.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of glycosylation patterns in cancer cells and enveloped viruses.
• Review of existing glycoconjugate vaccine formulations and their immunogenicity.
• Comparative study of O-linked glycan structures on mucins and viral glycoproteins.

Main Results:

• Cancer cells exhibit altered glycosylation due to enzymatic defects, leading to unique glycoepitopes.
• Viral glycoproteins, while hijacking host cell machinery, display O-linked glycans similar to those on tumor cells.
• Both cancer and viral glycoproteins share common N- and O-linked glycoepitopes.

Conclusions:

• Glycoconjugate vaccines hold promise for simultaneously targeting cancer and viral infections due to shared glycoepitopes.
• The structural simplicity of certain O-linked glycans on tumor cells is also observed in viral glycoproteins.
• This shared glycoepitope landscape suggests a potential for developing broadly applicable immunotherapies.