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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Glycomics-Guided Glycoproteomics Facilitates Comprehensive Profiling of the Glycoproteome in Complex Tumor Microenvironments
10:59

Glycomics-Guided Glycoproteomics Facilitates Comprehensive Profiling of the Glycoproteome in Complex Tumor Microenvironments

Published on: February 7, 2025

Immune implications and therapeutic opportunities of tumor glycosylation

Remi Hatinguais1,2,3, Stan Verjans1,2,3, Joana Gomes4,5

  • 1Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Nature Cancer
|July 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Aberrant glycosylation, a cancer hallmark, suppresses anti-tumor immunity. Targeting these tumor-associated glycans offers new precision medicine strategies to enhance cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Glycobiology

Background:

  • Aberrant glycosylation is a universal characteristic of cancer cells.
  • Tumor-associated glycans significantly influence cancer cell biology and immune evasion.
  • These glycans can suppress anti-tumor immune responses and reduce immunotherapy effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of tumor glycosylation in cancer immune surveillance.
  • To discuss how glycans impact the tumor microenvironment and immune checkpoints.
  • To explore therapeutic strategies targeting glycans for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of tumor glycosylation.
  • Analysis of glycan interactions with immune receptors and checkpoints.
  • Overview of current and emerging glycan-targeted cancer therapies.

Main Results:

  • Tumor-associated glycans reshape cancer cell biology.
  • Glycans act as suppressors of anti-tumor immunity by engaging inhibitory receptors.
  • Glycans dampen immune responses and reduce immunotherapy efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Glycans are critical targets for anticancer interventions.
  • Targeting glycans can potentiate immunotherapy success.
  • Glycans hold potential as targets for precision cancer medicine.

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