Table 1.

Some Carbohydrate-Based Experimental and Currently Used Therapeutics

CANCER

Vaccines (Galonic and Gin, 2007)

Enhanced immune response to carbohydrate-containing tumor-associated antigens using:

Carriers (e.g., keyhole limpet hemocyanin)

Adjuvants (e.g., QS-21A)

Novel carbohydrate antigen constructs (e.g. TN antigen constructs, STN antigen glycopeptide, 2,3 – and 2,6 – ST conjugates)

PotentialTreatments (Bishop et al., 2007)

Heparan sulphate binders and synthesis alteration agents may block tumor growth and angiogenesis; lectins that inhibit cancer cell growth (e.g. mistletoe lectin) or serve as carriers for anticancer drugs.

HIV/AIDS

Vaccines (Scanlan et al., 2007)

IgG1 2G12 antibodies that bind to clustered mannose alpha 1-2 mannose residues of gp120 in HIV envelope; adjuvants, carriers and altered glycan constructs as used in cancer vaccine development

Potential Treatments (Scanlan et al., 2007)

Lectins (e.g. cyanovirin that binds alpha 1-2 linked mannose residues); carbohydrate synthesis inhibitors (e.g., N-butyldeoxynorjirimycin, NB-DNJ)

DIABETES AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

(Seeberger and Werz, 2007)

Acarbose, a glycosidase inhibitor that regulates carbohydrate digestion, intestinal absorption and carbohydrate metabolism, currently in-use for diabetes treatment

(Hart et al., 2007)

Protein glycosylation by o-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine alters phosphorylation of protein associated with diabetes and Alzheimer's disease (tau protein). Protein glycosylation and phosphorylation could be targets for drug design.

VARIOUS INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND OTHER CONDITIONS

(Seeberger and Werz, 2007)

Salmonella typhi- Typhus. Vaccine made from coat carbohydrates

Sreptococcus pneumoniae- Pneumonia. Vaccine made from coat carbohydrates

Neisseria meningitidis- Bacterial Meningitis. Vaccine made from coat carbohydrates

Haemophilus influenza type b- Influenza, Vaccine made from coat carbohydrates

Bacillus anthracis- Anthrax, Vaccine under development

Plasmodium falciparum- Malaria. Vaccines using surface glycolipid under development

Leishmania- Leishmaniasis. Vaccines using synthetic version of surface phosphoglycolipid antigens under development

Influenza- Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate), a monosaccharide based drug currently in-use

Infections, gram-negative bacteria. Aminoglycosides, protein synthesis inhibitors that bind to bacterial ribosomes, currently in-use

Diseases involving blood clotting, Heparin, an anti-clotting agent, is a mixture of polysaccharides, in-use for decades

References are comprehensive reviews that include many scores of individual references for each category listed.