Therapeutic Relevance of Glycosylation Inhibitors in Cancer

Glycosylation is a fundamental posttranslational modification of lipids and proteins with important repercussions on immune response, signal transduction, and intercellular communication. Cancer disorder is characterized by loss of regulation driving oncogenesis, MET, and immune evasion. This chapter discusses the therapeutic use of glycosylation inhibitors in the setting of colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers. Through this, it highlights how aberrant glycosylation—caused by the overproduction of sialyltransferases and deficiency of fucosyl transferases—drives support from the spread of cancers by changing the immune responses and cell adhesion. Besides promoting immune recognition, glycosylation inhibitors could also normalize the glycan structures and decrease metastasis. Despite problems with specificity and delivery, glycosylation inhibitors promise to vastly enhance cancer therapy, offering a novel strategy for improving current treatment options and benefiting patients’ health, according to recent research work and clinical trials.