Title:Lectin-Carbohydrate Interactions: Implications for the Development of New Anticancer Agents
Volume: 24
Issue: 34
Author(s): Evellyne de Oliveira Figueiroa, Cassia Regina Albuquerque da Cunha, Priscilla B.S. Albuquerque , Raiana Apolinario de Paula , Mary Angela Aranda-Souza , Matheus Silva Alves, Adrielle Zagmignan, Maria G. Carneiro-da-Cunha , Luis Claudio Nascimento da Silva and Maria Tereza dos Santos Correia*
Affiliation:
- Departamento de Bioquimica, Centro de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, CEP 50670-420, Recife, PE,Brazil
Keywords:
Lectins, glycosylation, cancer diagnosis and therapy, tumor cells, cell death, liposomes.
Abstract: Lectins are a large group of proteins found in animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria
that recognize specific carbohydrate targets and play an important role in cell recognition and
communication, host-pathogen interactions, embryogenesis, and tissue development. Recently,
lectins have emerged as important biomedical tools that have been used in the development of
immunomodulatory, antipathogenic, and anticancer agents. Several lectins have been shown to
have the ability to discriminate between normal cells and tumor cells as a result of their different
glycosylation patterns. Furthermore, the specific binding of lectins to cancer cells has been
shown to trigger mechanisms that can promote the death of these abnormal cells. Here, we
review the importance of lectins-carbohydrates interactions in cancer therapy and diagnosis.
We examine the use of lectins in the modification of nanoparticles (liposomes, solid lipid
nanoparticles and other polymers) for anticancer drug delivery. The development of drug delivery
systems (liposomes, alginate/chitosan microcapsules, alginate beads) carrying some
antitumor lectins is also discussed. In these cases, the processes of cell death induced by these
antitumor lectins were also showed (if available). In both cases (lectin-conjugated polymers or
encapsulated lectins), these new pharmaceutical preparations showed improved intracellular
delivery, bioavailability and targetability leading to enhanced therapeutic index and significantly
less side effects.
