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Gene & Protein in Disease

EDITORIAL
Exploring the promise of glycomedicine: A sweet

revolution in health care

Wei Wang 1,2,3† *
1 First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
2 Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
3 Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, Australia

Glycomedicine, a burgeoning field at the intersection of glycobiology and medicine, is
emerging as a game changer in the health-care realm . While proteins and nucleic acids
[1]
have historically dominated scientific discourse, the intricate world of carbohydrates
is now taking center stage as researchers unravel the profound impact of glycans on
human health. This editorial delves into the promising landscape of glycomedicine,
shedding light on its potential to revolutionize diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventive
medicine [1,2] .
Glycans, complex sugar molecules, play pivotal roles in a myriad of biological
processes. Depending on how glycans bind to proteins, glycosylation is categorized
[1]
into N-glycans, O-glycans, C-linked, glypiation, and phosphoglycosylation . From
cell signaling and immune response modulation to protein folding and pathogen
recognition, the versatility of glycans is staggering. Unlike the relatively straightforward
world of genomics and proteomics, deciphering the “glycome” poses a formidable
challenge, given the structural diversity and dynamic nature of these sugar chains [1,3] .
† Professor Wei Wang is the The unique glycan signatures associated with various diseases offer a treasure trove
Editor-in-Chief of Gene & Protein in
[1]
Disease of diagnostic opportunities . Glycoproteins, adorned with specific sugar structures,
undergo alterations in various pathological conditions [1,2] . Detecting these changes can
*Corresponding author:
Wei Wang serve as highly sensitive and specific diagnostic markers, potentially facilitating early
(wei.wang@ecu.edu.au) disease detection and personalized medicine approaches [1,4] .
Citation: Wang W, 2023, Exploring Glycans are increasingly being recognized as both therapeutic targets and agents
the promise of glycomedicine: A themselves. Glycan-based therapies hold promise in treating a diverse range of diseases,
sweet revolution in health care.
Gene Protein Dis, 2(4): 2513. encompassing congenital disorders of glycosylation, cancer, infectious diseases, and
https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.2513 autoimmune disorders [1,4,5] . The manipulation of glycan interactions by researchers is
Received: December 22, 2023 giving rise to innovative approaches for modulating immune responses, impeding
Published Online: December 29, 2023 pathogen invasion, and precisely targeting specific cancer cells [1-4,6] .
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). The diversity of glycan structures among individuals underscores the importance of
This is an Open-Access article glycomedicine. Profound insights into an individual’s glycome profile could pave the way
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution for tailor-made therapies that account for variations in disease susceptibility, treatment
License, permitting distribution, response, and adverse reactions. Glycomedicine holds the promise of transitioning the
and reproduction in any medium, prevailing paradigm from a generalized, one-size-fits-all approach to a more precise and
provided the original work is
[4]
properly cited. effective model of health care .
Publisher’s Note: AccScience While the potential of glycomedicine is extensive, challenges persist. Theoretically,
Publishing remains neutral with one might inquire about the existence of a “paracentral dogma” that could provide
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional insights into these revolutionary discoveries by considering sugars as the third life
affiliations. codes, following nucleic acids and proteins – the first and second life codes for cellular

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.2513