This broad, narrative review highlights the roles of sialic acids as acidic sugars found on cellular membranes. The role of sialic acids in cellular communication and development has been well established. Recently, attention has turned to the fundamental role of sialic acids in many diseases, including viral infections, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, diabetic nephropathy, and malignancies. Sialic acid may be a target for developing new drugs to treat various cancers and inflammatory processes. We recommend the routine measurement of serum sialic acid as a sensitive inflammatory marker in various diseases.
Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; diabetic nephropathies; molecular targeted therapy; neoplasms; neuraminic acids; sialic acid; virus diseases.
© 2022 Aida Doostkam et al., published by Sciendo.