Recognition of carbohydrates in biological systems

Volume 362. Recognition of Carbohydrates in Biological Systems (Part A) Edited by Yuan C. Lee and Reiko T. Lee... 

M. Wendeler, H. Reiiaender, J. Hoernschemeyer, G. Schwarzmann, T. Kolter, K. Sandhoff, Recombinant Ganglioside GM2-Synthase - Expression in Insect Cells and Enzyme Assay, Y. C. Lee, R. T. Lee, eds., Methods in Enzymology Recognition of Carbohydrates in Biological Systems, submitted for publication. 

Carbohydrates, similarly to peptides, are natural sources of chirality and also offer a wide range of ncm-covalent interactions. Molecular recognition of carbohydrates by biological receptors mediates a variety of physiologically relevant processes, including recruitment of leucocytes to inflammatory sites, clearance of glycoproteins from the circulatory system, cell interactions in the immune system, as well as adhesion of bacteria or viruses to host cells. It has been shown that multivalency is especially important for carbohydrate-receptor interactions. The glycoside cluster... 

Abstract Carbohydrates have been investigated and developed as delivery vehicles for shuttling nucleic acids into cells. In this review, we present the state of the art in carbohydrate-based polymeric vehicles for nucleic acid delivery, with the focus on the recent successes in preclinical models, both in vitro and in vivo. Polymeric scaffolds based on the natural polysaccharides chitosan, hyaluronan, pullulan, dextran, and schizophyllan each have unique properties and potential for modification, and these results are discussed with the focus on facile synthetic routes and favorable performance in biological systems. Many of these carbohydrates have been used to develop alternative types of biomaterials for nucleic acid delivery to typical polyplexes, and these novel materials are discussed. Also presented are polymeric vehicles that incorporate copolymerized carbohydrates into polymer backbones based on polyethylenimine and polylysine and their effect on transfection and biocompatibility. Unique scaffolds, such as clusters and polymers based on cyclodextrin (CD), are also discussed, with the focus on recent successes in vivo and in the clinic. These results are presented with the emphasis on the role of carbohydrate and charge on transfection. Use of carbohydrates as molecular recognition ligands for cell-type specific dehvery is also briefly... 

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