Glycan arrays as tools for infectious disease research

Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2014 Feb:18:38-45. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2013.11.013. Epub 2013 Dec 30.

Abstract

Infectious diseases cause millions of deaths worldwide each year and are a major burden for economies, especially in underdeveloped countries. Glycans and their interactions with other biomolecules are involved in all major steps of infection. Glycan arrays enable the rapid and sensitive detection of those interactions and are among the most powerful techniques to study the molecular biology of infectious diseases. This review will focus on recent developments and discuss the applications of glycan arrays to the elucidation of host-pathogen and pathogen-pathogen interactions, the development of tools for infection diagnosis and the use of glycan arrays in modern vaccine design.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Communicable Disease Control
  • Communicable Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Communicable Diseases* / metabolism
  • Glycomics / methods*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Polysaccharides / analysis*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry

Substances

  • Polysaccharides