Targeting the “Sweet Side” of Tumor with Glycan-Binding Molecules Conjugated-Nanoparticles: Implications in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis

Department of Molecular Medicine, Center for Health Technologies (CHT), INSTM UdR of Pavia, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli, 3/B-27100 Pavia, Italy

Medicina Clinica-Specialistica, UOR5 Laboratorio Di Nanotecnologie, ICS Maugeri, IRCCS, Pavia, Via Boezio, 28-27100 Pavia, Italy

Dipartimento di Chimica, Università Degli Studi di Milano e CNR-ISTM, Via C. Golgi, 19, 20133 Milan, Italy

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: Marta Miola and Enrica Vernè

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(2), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020289

Received: 21 December 2020 / Revised: 17 January 2021 / Accepted: 20 January 2021 / Published: 22 January 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles for Medical Applications: Progress in Surface Modification)

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Abstract

Nanotechnology is in the spotlight of therapeutic innovation, with numerous advantages for tumor visualization and eradication. The end goal of the therapeutic use of nanoparticles, however, remains distant due to the limitations of nanoparticles to target cancer tissue. The functionalization of nanosystem surfaces with biological ligands is a major strategy for directing the actions of nanomaterials specifically to tumor cells. Cancer formation and metastasis are accompanied by profound alterations in protein glycosylation. Hence, the detection and targeting of aberrant glycans are of great value in cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we provide a brief update on recent progress targeting aberrant glycosylation by functionalizing nanoparticles with glycan-binding molecules (with a special focus on lectins and anti-glycan antibodies) to improve the efficacy of nanoparticles in cancer targeting, diagnosis, and therapy and outline the challenges and limitations in implementing this approach. We envision that the combination of nanotechnological strategies and cancer-associated glycan targeting could remodel the field of cancer diagnosis and therapy, including immunotherapy. View Full-Text

Keywords: aberrant glycosylation; glycan-binding molecules; lectin; antibody; tumor targeting and therapy; nanomedicine

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Bloise, N.; Okkeh, M.; Restivo, E.; Della Pina, C.; Visai, L. Targeting the “Sweet Side” of Tumor with Glycan-Binding Molecules Conjugated-Nanoparticles: Implications in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 289. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020289

AMA Style

Bloise N, Okkeh M, Restivo E, Della Pina C, Visai L. Targeting the “Sweet Side” of Tumor with Glycan-Binding Molecules Conjugated-Nanoparticles: Implications in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11(2):289. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020289

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bloise, Nora, Mohammad Okkeh, Elisa Restivo, Cristina Della Pina, and Livia Visai. 2021. "Targeting the “Sweet Side” of Tumor with Glycan-Binding Molecules Conjugated-Nanoparticles: Implications in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis" Nanomaterials 11, no. 2: 289. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020289

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Targeting the “Sweet Side” of Tumor with Glycan-Binding Molecules Conjugated-Nanoparticles: Implications in Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis

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