Carbohydrates & the Pharmaceutical Industry

As the science of Pharmaceutics has made concrete findings on carbohydrates, it has been deduced that a large number of carbohydrates and carbohydrate derivatives can be used as therapeutics or diagnostic drugs.

Role of Carbohydrates in Development of Biopharmaceuticals

Despite their large scale accessibility, the medicinal aspect of carbohydrates remained an allusive mystery until last century when scientists first discovered the diagnostic properties of complex sugars. Carbohydrates were not extensively researched up till now as their complex structure and strong intermolecular bonds made it difficult to study them via conventional methods.

With the advent of higher technological inventions and methods in pharmaceutics, it was found out that carbohydrates play an important role in diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of various diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, and diabetes. In this article, we talk about how glycans, an active class of carbohydrates, are significant in the manufacturing of various biopharmaceutical drugs.

Evolution of Glycan Structure in Drug Development

Functional Glycomics

Biological structures based on the configuration of a glycan molecule reflect their evolutionary history and functional aspects when it comes to differentiation, cell to cell recognition, inflammation, fertilization, development, and cell adhesion. The field of studying these evolutionary functions of glycans is known as Functional Glycomics.

Disease Fighting Capabilities of Glycans

Changes in the glycan component of glycoproteins lead to various medical conditions including congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs), rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and muscle dystrophy. Reports also indicate that some mutations in the glycan component may also lead to different types of cancer. As a result of heterogeneity of glycans, rooting in their complex, non-template structures which drive biosynthesis, glycans are isolated from other cells and tissues. However, they form strong bonds with molecules they have high chemical affinity with.

Screening of Glycans

It is vital to mention here that glycans can be controlled by the levels of glycosidases present, nucleotide transporters, degree of gene expression of the glycosyltransferases and glycosidases, substrate availability, and nucleotide donors. Thus, in order to know the degree of control glycans required in a chemical reaction, it is vital to have a thorough knowledge of Functioal Glycomics.

During screening the glycans for their functionality, high resolution, and highly sensitive analytical techniques are required for a high-throughput results. After screening and categorization, these glycans can be then studied to identify the trigger points which lead to afore mentioned medical conditions and how to avoid them.

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