Carbohydrate-based therapeutics

Osborn, H.M.I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-0457, Evans, P.G., Gemmell, N. and Osborne, S.D. (2004) Carbohydrate-based therapeutics. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 56 (6). pp. 691-702. ISSN 0022-3573 doi: 10.1211/0022357023619

Abstract/Summary

In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the biological roles of carbohydrates and as a result it is now known that carbohydrates are involved in a vast array of disease processes. This review summarises progress in the development of carbohydrate-based therapeutics that involve: inhibition of carbohydrate-lectin interactions; immunisation, using monoclonal antibodies for carbohydrate antigens; inhibition of enzymes that synthesise disease-associated carbohydrates; replacement of carbohydrate-processing enzymes; targeting of drugs to specific disease cells via carbohydrate-lectin interactions; carbohydrate based anti-thrombotic agents.