Sugar-protein hybrids for biomedical applications

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This chapter gives an overview of the preparation and applications of biomedically relevant synthetic glycoproteins. The crucial role of natural sugar-protein conjugates in nature makes synthetic variants an interesting instrument to better understand the complex processes in which they are involved. Glycoproteins participate in communication events, like those resulting in inflammation, fertilization, or host immune response. In addition, carbohydrates are able to stabilize the tertiary structure of proteins by inducing more compact structures. Glycosylation is one of the most multifaceted posttranslational modifications of proteins. The chapter examines the different methods for the preparation of relevant synthetic glycoproteins largely where the linkage between the proteic part and the saccharidic moiety is unnatural. It focuses on the application of these synthetic hybrids in the field of biomedicine through their use as vaccine candidates, anti-infective agents, or drug delivery systems, among others.