Using sugars in a prodrug concept is a fascinating idea as these compounds can bring so much to the table like improve stability, PK, or help in targeting. In this patent from Heidelberg University oligosaccharide conjugated prostate-specific membrane antigens are described where the bonds are cleaved by amylase in the body.
The history of ribitol phosphate discovery and the therapeutic strategies currently proposed for musculardystrophy by Motoi Kanagawa from Ehime University
Full article: https://glycoforum.gr.jp/article/25A14.html
We are always thrilled to see companies adjancing drugs in the field of glycochemistry, just as Palleon Pharmaceuticals. who recently announced patenting engineered human sialidase enzymes that restore antitumor immunity by degrading immunosuppressive sialoglycans on tumors and across immune cell types
Jellyfish is considered a new potential resource in the food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries. In this study presented by Università di Pisa (Chiara Migone Noemi Scacciati Brunella Grassiri Alessandra Braca Dario Puppi Anna Maria Piras et al), skin polysaccharides with glycosaminoglycan features were extracted, and their use as promoters of wound-healing was evaluated
Our group has always been fond of photodynamic therapy, and here is a great example of why: β-galactosidase activated PDT for selective imaging and targeted treatment of glioblastoma delivered by Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi / Middle East Technical University and Koç University Gorkem Gunbas Toghrul Almammadov Safacan Kölemen
Full article: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsabm.2c00484
Bathing in carbs: Lai-Xi Wang and his group from the University of Maryland reported the synthesis of cyclodextrin-based multivalent glycan ligands for human galectin-3. The GalNAc (Tn antigen) containing heptavalent ligand showed the highest affinity for human Gal-3 among the synthetic ligands tested, with an EC50 of 1.4 μM in binding to human Gal-3.
This week seems to be all about cyclodextrin.
Chris Kevil’s group (Gopi Krishna Kolluru et al.) from Louisiana State University discovered the Sugammadex (among other prodrugs) could serve as an H2S donor and support the treatment of covid patients. Amazing work!
Yet another novel use proposed for sugammadex and SBE-cyclodextrin: as antidotes against chlorpromazine-induced acute toxicity. An excellent paper by Eszter Nyúl, Rita Klaudia Csepregi, Gábor Benkovics PhD, Lajos Szente, and Poór Miklós from the University of Pécs.
For more details, follow this link.
