Abstract

Mucin-type O-glycans are upregulated and aberrantly glycosylated in many carcinomas. O-glycan Core 1 (Galβ1-3GalNAcα-O-), also called Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide, is a cryptic structure overexpressed in cancer cells through modification of its glycosyltransferase profile. This molecule is a useful model for study of carbohydrate immunogenicity as well as a candidate for active specific immunotherapy of cancer patients. Several strategies are discussed for enhancing immune response to a particular region of carbohydrate: carbohydrate-protein conjugation, linkers, synthetic clustered sugars, chemical modifications, peptide / protein mimetics, and molecular rotation.

Keywords: thomsen-friedenreich disaccharide, mucin-type o-glycans, o-glycan core 1, glycosyltransferase, immunogenicity, carbohydrate-protein conjugation,, synthetic clustered sugars, peptide/protein mimetics, molecular rotation