The surface of cells is coated with a dense layer of
glycans, known
as the cell glycocalyx. The complex glycans in the glycocalyx are
involved in various biological events, such as bacterial pathogenesis,
protection of bacteria from environmental stresses, etc. Polysaccharides
on the bacterial cell surface are highly conserved and accessible
molecules, and thus they are excellent immunological targets. Consequently,
bacterial polysaccharides and their repeating units have been extensively
studied as antigens for the development of antibacterial vaccines.
This Review surveys the recent developments in the synthetic and immunological
investigations of bacterial polysaccharide repeating unit-based conjugate
vaccines against several human pathogenic bacteria. The major challenges
associated with the development of functional carbohydrate-based antibacterial
conjugate vaccines are also considered.