Glycopolymer-Based Materials: Synthesis, Properties, and Biosensing Applications

Abstract

Glycopolymer materials have emerged as a significant biopolymer class that has piqued the scientific community's attention due to their potential applications. Recently, they have been found to be a unique synthetic biomaterial; glycopolymer materials have also been used for various applications, including direct therapeutic methods, medical adhesives, drug/gene delivery systems, and biosensor applications. Therefore, for the next stage of biomaterial research, it is essential to understand current breakthroughs in glycopolymer-based materials research. This review discusses the most widely utilized synthetic methodologies for glycopolymer-based materials, their properties based on structure–function interactions, and the significance of these materials in biosensing applications, among other topics. When creating glycopolymer materials, contemporary polymerization methods allow precise control over molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, chemical activity, and polymer architecture. This review concludes with a discussion of the challenges and complexities of glycopolymer-based biosensors, in addition to their potential applications in the future. Graphical Abstract

Glycopolymers against pathogen infection

“…This review will exclusively focus on glycopolymers as multivalent glycan mimetics composed of a synthetic macromolecular or polymeric scaffold presenting carbohydrate motifs in the side chain. This is in contrast to similar macromolecular glycoconjugates such as glycopeptides, [16][17][18][19] glycodendrimers, 20,21 glycan-functionalized nanomaterials [22][23][24] or combinations thereof [25][26][27] (Fig. 2).…”

“…A more general review on glycopolymer materials for the detection of not only pathogens but also carbohydrate binding proteins, was recently published by Thalji and co-workers. 27…”

Glycopolymers based on carbohydrate or vinyl backbones and their biomedical applications

“…1). [11][12][13][14] In this review, we summarize all glycopolymers, including not only glycopolymers with pendant sugars but also glycopolymers with the sugar groups located on the backbone and terminal groups.…”

Glycan-Presenting Coacervates Derived from Charged Poly(active esters): Preparation, Phase Behavior, and Lectin Capture

“…Carbohydrate-mediated interactions dictate many biological processes on the cellular level, for example, adhesion, communication, signal transduction, or fertilization. , Lectins, an important class of carbohydrate-binding proteins, decorate the surface of pathogens and enable adhesion to the cell’s glycocalyx, which is a critical step in infection processes. − Since the interaction of a single carbohydrate ligand with a protein is rather weak, nature employs multivalency to increase the binding affinity and selectivity. , Multivalent synthetic carbohydrate-presenting scaffolds such as linear glycopolymers, branched scaffolds, or particle-based glycocalyx mimetics via gold nanoparticles, micelles, vesicles, or microgels were developed to acquire insights into the molecular mechanisms of multivalent carbohydrate interactions. − At a high density of carbohydrate units, these scaffolds can achieve a lectin-binding avidity that is an order of magnitude larger in comparison to a single unit. , A potential application of such glycoconjugates is the treatment and prevention of infections by binding and blocking pathogenic lectins and their attachment to the glycocalyx. − Furthermore, responsive glycopolymers allow controlling the avidity by triggering an increase or decrease of the carbohydrate density or accessibility. − Mostly so far, thermoresponsive polymers with uncharged polar repeat units are used to form dense solid phase-separated aggregates upon a temperature change. In addition, some work was done on solid carbohydrate-presenting scaffolds that are held together and self-assemble by electrostatic interactions. , …”