title: Gangliosides: Structures, Biosynthesis, Analysis, and Roles in Cancer.
abstract: Gangliosides are acidic glycosphingolipids containing one or more sialic acid residues. They are essential compounds at the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, where they interact with phospholipids, cholesterol, and transmembrane proteins, forming lipid rafts. They are involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, and recognition processes, as well as in the modulation of signal transduction pathways. These functions are mainly governed by the glycan moiety, and changes in the structures of gangliosides occur under pathological conditions, particularly in neuro-ectoderm-derived cancers. With the progress in mass spectrometry analysis of gangliosides, their role in cancer progression can be now investigated in more detail. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the biosynthesis of gangliosides and their role in cancers, together with the recent development of cancer immunotherapy targeting gangliosides.
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576, UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, 59000, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Groux-Degroote
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576, UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, 59000, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guérardel
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576, UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, 59000, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6467-7553
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delannoy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005732:Gangliosides; D012794:Sialic Acids; D012799:Sialyltransferases
keywords: cancer; gangliosides; glycosphingolipids; glycosyltransferases; immunology