Decoding the Sugar Code: Understanding Glycan Function in Health and Disease

Dear Colleagues, 

Glycobiology is an expanding and dynamic field dedicated to understanding the structures, functions, and biological significance of glycoconjugates, including glycoproteins, glycolipids, and complex glycans. Over the past few decades, remarkable advances have demonstrated that glycans are not merely structural components but key regulators of diverse physiological and pathological processes. They participate in immune modulation, protein–protein and protein–carbohydrate interactions, cell signaling pathways, metabolic regulation, cancer progression, and host–pathogen interactions, among many other biological events. 

Driven by rapid technological progress in glycomics, glycoproteomics, and advanced analytical techniques, the study of glycan structures and functions has become central to both basic and translational research. These advances have enabled the identification of novel biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and mechanisms that underlie health and disease. 

In this Special Issue, we welcome contributions that explore new findings, methodologies, and conceptual advances related to glycobiology. Studies addressing how glycans and glycoconjugates regulate molecular mechanisms and influence physiological homeostasis or disease development are particularly encouraged. We also invite interdisciplinary research spanning immunology, oncology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, and metabolism, reflecting the broad and impactful roles of glycans across biological systems.

Dr. Leonardo Freire-de-Lima
Dr. Leonardo Marques Da Fonseca
Dr. Célio Geraldo Freire-de-Lima
Dr. Alexandre Morrot
Dr. Raphael do Carmo Valente
Guest Editors

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