Cancer cells depend on altered metabolism and nutrient uptake to generate and keep the malignant phenotype. The hexosamine pathway is a branch of glucose metabolism that produces UDP-GlcNAc and others donor substrates used in the production of glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and glycolipids. Thus, metabolite availability to the hexosamine pathway exerts control over the biosynthesis of glycoconjugates, signaling and gene expression. An imbalance in the glycoconjugate biosynthesis can, therefore, produce profound alterations in cell function. Indeed, aberrant glycosylation on cell surface mediate key pathophysiological events during the various steps of tumour progression as cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Inhibition of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of cancer-associated glycans might have an effect on tumour progression and aberrant glycans are prominent candidates for cancer biomarkers and anti-cancer vaccines. Advances on analytical technologies for elucidating the glycome contributed significantly for the understanding the role of glyconjugates on tumor progression giving impetus to the development of novel strategies on cancer therapy based on the underlying glycobiology. In this research topic, we aim to cover all aspects of the glycobiology of cancer through research articles, methods, hypotheses and theories, opinions, historical data, mini-reviews and reviews.
Cancer cells depend on altered metabolism and nutrient uptake to generate and keep the malignant phenotype. The hexosamine pathway is a branch of glucose metabolism that produces UDP-GlcNAc and others donor substrates used in the production of glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and glycolipids. Thus, metabolite availability to the hexosamine pathway exerts control over the biosynthesis of glycoconjugates, signaling and gene expression. An imbalance in the glycoconjugate biosynthesis can, therefore, produce profound alterations in cell function. Indeed, aberrant glycosylation on cell surface mediate key pathophysiological events during the various steps of tumour progression as cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Inhibition of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of cancer-associated glycans might have an effect on tumour progression and aberrant glycans are prominent candidates for cancer biomarkers and anti-cancer vaccines. Advances on analytical technologies for elucidating the glycome contributed significantly for the understanding the role of glyconjugates on tumor progression giving impetus to the development of novel strategies on cancer therapy based on the underlying glycobiology. In this research topic, we aim to cover all aspects of the glycobiology of cancer through research articles, methods, hypotheses and theories, opinions, historical data, mini-reviews and reviews.