Sialic acids: carbohydrate moieties that influence the biological and physical properties of biopharmaceutical proteins and living cells.
Sialic acids are structurally diverse molecules that have important roles in the physiological reactions and characteristics of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These include the ability to mask epitopes on underlying glycan chains and to repulse negatively charged moieties. Here, we describe the metabolism and immunological relevance of sialic acids and outline how their properties have been exploited by the pharmaceutical industry to enhance the therapeutic properties of proteins such as asparaginase and darbepoetin alpha.
Byrne
Barry
B
Applied Biochemistry Group and Centre for Bioanalytical Sciences, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Donohoe
Gerard G
GG
O'Kennedy
Richard
R
D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D006023:Glycoproteins; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012794:Sialic Acids