Essentials of Glycobiology


Book Description

Sugar chains (glycans) are often attached to proteins and lipids and have multiple roles in the organization and function of all organisms. "Essentials of Glycobiology" describes their biogenesis and function and offers a useful gateway to the understanding of glycans.




Carbohydrates in Drug Design and Discovery


Book Description

In recent years there has been increasing evidence of the importance of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates in biomedical applications, and the use of synthetic ligands based on carbohydrates as drugs has received much attention. Focussing on drug discovery from key targets and placing an emphasis on the multi-disciplinary approaches necessary to challenge these issues, this book comprehensively covers the new and recent discoveries in the area of carbohydrate drug discovery. Carbohydrates in Drug Design and Discovery is split into five sections, beginning with a introduction and perspective on the current market. The book then goes on to discuss new synthetic methods in glycobiology, the use of glycobiology in chemical biology and glycobiology in drug discovery. Providing a worldwide perspective on this broad area, and providing examples of therapeutics already developed using these methods, this book provides a comprehensive introduction, discussion and update on this fast developing field for medicinal chemists and biochemists working in industry and academia.




Transforming Glycoscience


Book Description

A new focus on glycoscience, a field that explores the structures and functions of sugars, promises great advances in areas as diverse as medicine, energy generation, and materials science, this report finds. Glycans-also known as carbohydrates, saccharides, or simply as sugars-play central roles in many biological processes and have properties useful in an array of applications. However, glycans have received little attention from the research community due to a lack of tools to probe their often complex structures and properties. Transforming Glycoscience: A Roadmap for the Future presents a roadmap for transforming glycoscience from a field dominated by specialists to a widely studied and integrated discipline, which could lead to a more complete understanding of glycans and help solve key challenges in diverse fields.




Glycobiology and Drug Design


Book Description

Will update existing publications on carbohydrate-based drug design and further shape the emerging data and thinking in this new area.




Glyco-Engineering


Book Description

Conceived with the intention of providing an array of strategies and technologies currently in use for glyco-engineering distinct living organisms, this book contains a wide range of methods being developed to control the composition of carbohydrates and the properties of proteins through manipulations on the production host rather than in the protein itself. The first five sections deal with host-specific glyco-engineering and contain chapters that provide protocols for modifications of the glycosylation pathway in bacteria, yeast, insect, plants and mammalian cells, while the last two sections explore alternative approaches to host glyco-engineering and selected protocols for the analysis of the N-glycans and glyco-profiling by mass spectrometry. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and extensive, Glyco-Engineering: Methods and Protocols offers vast options to help researchers to choose the expression system and approach that best suits their intended protein research or applications.




Bacterial Cell Wall


Book Description

Studies of the bacterial cell wall emerged as a new field of research in the early 1950s, and has flourished in a multitude of directions. This excellent book provides an integrated collection of contributions forming a fundamental reference for researchers and of general use to teachers, advanced students in the life sciences, and all scientists in bacterial cell wall research. Chapters include topics such as: Peptidoglycan, an essential constituent of bacterial endospores; Teichoic and teichuronic acids, lipoteichoic acids, lipoglycans, neural complex polysaccharides and several specialized proteins are frequently unique wall-associated components of Gram-positive bacteria; Bacterial cells evolving signal transduction pathways; Underlying mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.




Handbook of In Vivo Chemistry in Mice


Book Description

Provides timely, comprehensive coverage of in vivo chemical reactions within live animals This handbook summarizes the interdisciplinary expertise of both chemists and biologists performing in vivo chemical reactions within live animals. By comparing and contrasting currently available chemical and biological techniques, it serves not just as a collection of the pioneering work done in animal-based studies, but also as a technical guide to help readers decide which tools are suitable and best for their experimental needs. The Handbook of In Vivo Chemistry in Mice: From Lab to Living System introduces readers to general information about live animal experiments and detection methods commonly used for these animal models. It focuses on chemistry-based techniques to develop selective in vivo targeting methodologies, as well as strategies for in vivo chemistry and drug release. Topics include: currently available mouse models; biocompatible fluorophores; radionuclides for radiodiagnosis/radiotherapy; live animal imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); ultrasound imaging; hybrid imaging; biocompatible chemical reactions; ligand-directed nucleophilic substitution chemistry; biorthogonal prodrug release strategies; and various selective targeting strategies for live animals. -Completely covers current techniques of in vivo chemistry performed in live animals -Describes general information about commonly used live animal experiments and detection methods -Focuses on chemistry-based techniques to develop selective in vivo targeting methodologies, as well as strategies for in vivo chemistry and drug release -Places emphasis on material properties required for the development of appropriate compounds to be used for imaging and therapeutic purposes in preclinical applications Handbook of In Vivo Chemistry in Mice: From Lab to Living System will be of great interest to pharmaceutical chemists, life scientists, and organic chemists. It will also appeal to those working in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.




Carbohydrate Recognition


Book Description

This book contains contributions from interdisciplinary scientists to collectively address the issue of targeting carbohydrate recognition for the development of novel therapeutic and diagnostic agents. The book covers (1) biological problems involving carbohydrate recognition, (2) structural factors mediating carbohydrate recognition, (3) design and synthesis of lectin mimics that recognize carbohydrate ligands with high specificity and affinity, and (4) modulation of biological and pathological processes through carbohydrate recognition.




Antibody Glycosylation


Book Description

This book summarizes recent advances in antibody glycosylation research. Covering major topics relevant for immunoglobulin glycosylation - analytical methods, biosynthesis and regulation, modulation of effector functions - it provides new perspectives for research and development in the field of therapeutic antibodies, biomarkers, vaccinations, and immunotherapy. Glycans attached to both variable and constant regions of antibodies are known to affect the antibody conformation, stability, and effector functions. Although it focuses on immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most explored antibody in this context, and unravels the natural phenomena resulting from the mixture of IgG glycovariants present in the human body, the book also discusses other classes of human immunoglobulins, as well as immunoglobulins produced in other species and production systems. Further, it reviews the glycoanalytical methods applied to antibodies and addresses a range of less commonly explored topics, such as automatization and bioinformatics aspects of high-throughput antibody glycosylation analysis. Lastly, the book highlights application areas ranging from the ones already benefitting from antibody glycoengineering (such as monoclonal antibody production), to those still in the research stages (such as exploration of antibody glycosylation as a clinical or biological age biomarker), and the potential use of antibody glycosylation in the optimization of vaccine production and immunization protocols. Summarizing the current knowledge on the broad topic of antibody glycosylation and its therapeutic and biomarker potential, this book will appeal to a wide biomedical readership in academia and industry alike. Chapter 4 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.




Carbohydrates as Drugs


Book Description

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.