Sialic acids sweeten a tumor's life.
Over four decades ago, specific tumor characteristics were ascribed to the increased expression of sialic acid sugars on the surface of cancer cells, and this led to the definition of sialic acids as potential therapeutic targets. Recent advances in glycobiology and cancer research have defined the key processes underlying aberrant expression of sialic acids in cancer, and its consequences, more precisely. These consequences include effects on tumor growth, escape from apoptosis, metastasis formation, and resistance to therapy. Collectively, these novel insights provide further rationale for the design and development of therapeutic approaches that interfere with excessively high expression of sialic acids in cancer cells. Strategies to target aberrant sialylation in cancer, however, have evolved comparatively slowly. Here, we review recent findings that emphasize the detrimental effects of hypersialylation on multiple aspects of tumor growth and behavior. We also discuss novel therapeutic strategies.
Authors' Affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Christian
C
Büll
Authors' Affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Marieke A
MA
Stoel
Authors' Affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Martijn H
MH
den Brok
Authors' Affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands g.adema@ncmls.ru.nl.
Gosse J
GJ
Adema
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
D012794:Sialic Acids