title: Glycomics and glycoproteomics focused on aging and age-related diseases--Glycans as a potential biomarker for physiological alterations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since glycosylation depends on glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, and sugar nucleotide donors, it is susceptible to the changes associated with physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, alterations in glycan structures may be good targets and biomarkers for monitoring health conditions. Since human aging and longevity are affected by genetic and environmental factors such as diseases, lifestyle, and social factors, a scale that reflects various environmental factors is required in the study of human aging and longevity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We herein focus on glycosylation changes elucidated by glycomic and glycoproteomic studies on aging, longevity, and age-related diseases including cognitive impairment, diabetes mellitus, and frailty. We also consider the potential of glycan structures as biomarkers and/or targets for monitoring physiological and pathophysiological changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glycan structures are altered in age-related diseases. These glycans and glycoproteins may be involved in the pathophysiology of these diseases and, thus, be useful diagnostic markers. Age-dependent changes in N-glycans have been reported previously in cohort studies, and characteristic N-glycans in extreme longevity have been proposed. These findings may lead to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying aging as well as the factors influencing longevity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alterations in glycosylation may be good targets and biomarkers for monitoring health conditions, and be applicable to studies on age-related diseases and healthy aging. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Glycans in personalised medicine" Guest Editor: Professor Gordan Lauc.
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Mechanism of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Mechanism of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan. Electronic address: endo@tmig.or.jp.
authors.forename: Tamao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D016330:Frail Elderly; D054794:Glycomics / Q000379:methods*; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Aging; Biomarker; Glycomics; Glycoproteomics; Glycosylation; Longevity