AUTHOR=Nardy Ana Flávia Fernandes Ribas , Freire-de-Lima Leonardo , Freire-de-Lima Célio Geraldo , Morrot Alexandre 

TITLE=The Sweet Side of Immune Evasion: Role of Glycans in the Mechanisms of Cancer Progression

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2016.00054

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2016.00054

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Glycans are part of the essential components of a cell. These compounds play a fundamental role in several physiopathological processes, including cell differentiation, adhesion, motility, signal transduction, host–pathogen interactions, tumor cell invasion, and metastasis development. Glycans are also able to exert control over the changes in tumor immunogenecity, interfering with tumor editing events and leading to immune-resistant cancer cells. The involvement of glycans in cancer progression is related to glycosylation alterations. Understanding such changes is, therefore, extremely useful to set the stage for their use as biomarkers, improving the diagnostics and therapeutic strategies. Herein, we discuss the basis of how modifications in glycosylation patterns may contribute to cancer genesis and progression as well as their importance in oncology field.</p>