AUTHOR=Hugonnet Marjolaine , Singh Pushpita , Haas Quentin , von Gunten Stephan 

TITLE=The Distinct Roles of Sialyltransferases in Cancer Biology and Onco-Immunology

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.799861

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2021.799861

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>Aberrant glycosylation is a key feature of malignant transformation. Hypersialylation, the enhanced expression of sialic acid-terminated glycoconjugates on the cell surface, has been linked to immune evasion and metastatic spread, eventually by interaction with sialoglycan-binding lectins, including Siglecs and selectins. The biosynthesis of tumor-associated sialoglycans involves sialyltransferases, which are differentially expressed in cancer cells. In this review article, we provide an overview of the twenty human sialyltransferases and their roles in cancer biology and immunity. A better understanding of the individual contribution of select sialyltransferases to the tumor sialome may lead to more personalized strategies for the treatment of cancer.</p>