Main description:

Cancer glycobiology is a blazing hot area of cancer research with aberrant post-translational glycosylations on lipids and proteins considered critical for cancer development and metastasis. The NIH/NCI Alliance of Glycobiologists for Cancer Research is a consortium of (10) tumor glycobiology laboratories funded to investigate how cancer-associated glycans (CAG) impact the development and metastasis of cancer. The hope of this momentous effort is to discover CAGs for use as novel biomarkers to detect early-stage cancer or its aggressive behavior or, alternatively, as novel molecular targets with the promise of a curative approach to cancer therapy. The mission of the 'Alliance' is to study structure and function of CAGs in cancer development and to provide clinically useful biomarkers for detecting cancer early or the potential of metastasis. This charge has stimulated extensive collaborations across US and International institutions to accelerate discovery of glycan-based biomarkers to the forefront of NCI's efforts to diagnose early-stage cancer and provide curative anti-cancer therapies.

The main goals of these research efforts are: 1. To identify and study how cancer-associated glycans functionally impact cancer growth and metastasis 2. To identify cancer-associated glycans that can serve as biomarkers for the detection or progression of cancer 3. To develop cancer-associated glycans as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment and cure of cancer

This volume consists of (9) chapters, one from each funded laboratory, that reviews new methods and mechanisms highlighting glycoconjugates and their roles as cancer biomarkers and/or anti-cancer therapeutic targets.

Contents:

1. The Clinical Role of Glycobiology on Ovarian Cancer Progression Karen Abbott 2. The glycan biomarkers in the CA19-9 family: discoveries in biology and clinical applications Brian Haab and Randy Brand 3. Innovative Methods to Discovery Biomarkers for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Cancer David M. Lubman and Yehia Mechref 4. Beyond Glyco-proteomics - Understanding the Role of Genetics in Cancer Biomarkers Anand Mehta, Richard Drake, Amit Singal, Yujin Hoshida 5. Innovative Tools for O-Glycosite Profiling and Mucinomics in Cancer Sharon Pitteri, Carolyn Bertozzi, James Brooks 6. Role of Tumor Cell Sialylation in Pancreatic Cancer Progression Susan L. Bellis and Lance Wells 7. The Impact of Galectin-3 and Its Ligands on Melanoma Progression Charles Dimitroff and Stuart Haslam 8. Role of O-GlcNAcylation on Cancer Stem Cells: Connecting Nutrient Sensing to Cell Plasticity Mauricio Reginato and Lauren Ball 9. The Role of E-selectin Ligands in Leukemia Pathobiology Robert Sackstein 10. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Cancer: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Potential Lianchun Wang and Houjian Cai 11. Mapping the Tumor, Stroma and Immune N-Glycomes in Cancer Tissues Richard Drake, Peggi Angel, Anand Mehta, Kiyoko Kinashita