Sialic acids: biomarkers in endocrinal cancers

Abstract

Sialylations are post translational modification of proteins and lipids that play important role in recognition, signaling, immunological response and cell-cell interaction. Improper sialylations due to altered sialyl transferases, sialidases, gene structure and expression, sialic acid metabolism however lead to diseases and thus sialic acids form an important biomarker in disease. In the endocrinal biology such improper sialylations including altered expression of sialylated moieties have been shown to be associated with disorders. Cancer still remains to be the major cause of global death and the cancer of the endocrine organs suffer from the dearth of appropriate markers for disease prediction at the early stage and monitoring. This review is aimed at evaluating the role of sialic acids as markers in endocrinal disorders with special reference to cancer of the endocrine organs. The current study is summarized under the following headings of altered sialylations in endocrinal cancer of the (i) ovary (ii) pancreas (iii) thyroid (iv) adrenal and (v) pituitary gland. Studies in expression of sialic acid in testis cancer are limited. The future scope of this review remains in the targeting of endocrinal cancer by targeting altered sialylation which is a common expression associated with endocrinal cancer.

Upregulation of miR-181c inhibits chemoresistance by targeting ST8SIA4 in chronic myelocytic leukemia

“…Sialic acids are negatively charged nine-carbon carboxylated monosaccharides on glycosylated proteins and lipids formed due to post translational modification [ 9 ]. Most cell surface glycans are highly sialylated and often involved in cell-cell and/or cell-extracellular matrix interaction [ 10 ].…”

Determination of sialic acid in saliva by means of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy as a marker in adnexal mass patients: ovarian cancer vs benign cases

“…For instance, Li et al [ 21 ], found that the combined determination of SA with hydroxyproline provides a better diagnosis value than either CA-125 or HE4. S. Ghosh [ 22 ] discusses in a recent work, how SA in serum may also be used as a clinical predictor for Ovarium cancer. Finally, we add that Thakkar et al [ 23 ] found that protein-bound sialic acid (PBSA) provides the highest overall ability to discriminate between ovarian cancer patients and healthy subjects, in comparison with other glycoproteins in serum [ 23 ].…”

Application of Mono‐ and Disaccharides in Drug Targeting and Efficacy

“…[37] Aberrant expression of sialic acids is closely associated with invasive and metastatic cancer. [77,78] Ta rgeting sialic acids is a promising strategy to suppress tumor motility and metastasis. An ovel fluorinated sialic acid analogue( P-3Fax-Neu5Ac, 18) was shown to deplete a-2,3-/a-2,6-linked sialic acids, thereby blockingt he synthesis of sialoglycan in murine melanoma and ultimately diminishing the migratory capacity of cancerc ells.…”

“…Aberrant expression of sialic acids is closely associated with invasive and metastatic cancer . Targeting sialic acids is a promising strategy to suppress tumor motility and metastasis.…”