Glycan carriers as glycotools for medicinal chemistry applications

Carbohydrates are one of the most powerful and versatile classes of biomolecules that nature uses to regulate organisms’ biochemistry, modulating plenty of signaling events within cells, triggering a plethora of physiological and pathological cellular behaviors. In this framework, glycan carrier systems or carbohydrate-decorated materials constitute interesting and relevant tools for medicinal chemistry applications. In the last few decades, efforts have been focused, among others, on the development of multivalent glycoconjugates, biosensors, glycoarrays, carbohydrate-decorated biomaterials for regenerative medicine, and glyconanoparticles. This review aims to provide the reader with a general overview of the different carbohydrate carrier systems that have been developed as tools in different medicinal chemistry approaches relying on carbohydrate-protein interactions. Given the extent of this topic, the present review will focus on selected examples that highlight the advancements and potentialities offered by this specific area of research, rather than being an exhaustive literature survey of any specific glyco-functionalized system.