New methods and technologies for the synthesis of glycopharmaceuticals, Alexei V. Demchenko, PhD

Alexei V. Demchenko, PhD; Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University; 3501 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, USA

Complex carbohydrates (glycoconjugates, oligosaccharides, or glycans) are involved in many processes and are referred to as the “essential molecules of life.” Our life begins with fertilization, which takes place via carbohydrate-protein recognition. Our journey with sugars continues with human milk that becomes the ideal first food. Glycans present in human milk called HMO can provide prebiotic effects, function as antimicrobial agents, and supply nutrients for the development of cognition. Throughout our lifetime, sugars are involved in many upkeeping processes and defensive mechanisms including joint lubrication, cell growth, antigenic determination, anti-inflammation, immune response. The explosive growth of glycobiology has increased our understanding of the roles of sugars also as “molecules of death” due to their involvement in pathogenesis of every major disease including cancer, AIDS, pneumonia, septicemia, diabetes, malaria.  With improved understanding of functions of glycans, the demand for robust methods to produce both natural glycans and their mimetics has increased. Glycans can be obtained by isolation from natural sources, prepared enzymatically, and/or chemically to study their composition, conformation, interaction with other molecules, and functional roles. Manufacturers are also interested in glycans due to their prebiotic, therapeutic, and diagnostic potential. The discovery of glycans is accelerating aided by advances in separation, analysis, and array technologies. Still, the availability of glycans remains low. The discovery of new methods and accessible technologies that offer new capabilities for obtaining pharmaceutically relevant glycans is at the heart of this presentation.