Potential of glycosylation research in graft versus host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1860; no. 8; pp. 1615 - 1622
• Main Authors: Prenc, Ema, Pulanic, Drazen, Pucic-Bakovic, Maja, Pezer, Marija, Desnica, Lana, Vrhovac, Radovan, Nemet, Damir, Pavletic, Steven Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.08.2016
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Allografts; Animals; biomarkers; Biomarkers - metabolism; Biomedical Research; cell transplantation; Chronic Disease; field experimentation; Glycan; Glycosylation; Graft versus host disease; Graft vs Host Disease - genetics; Graft vs Host Disease - metabolism; Graft vs Host Disease - therapy; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; human diseases; Humans; immune system; immunosuppression; Immunosuppression Therapy - methods; medicine; monitoring; oligosaccharides; polysaccharides; stem cells; Graft versus host disease; Glycosylation; Glycan; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.02.015

Glycans, complex oligosaccharides, are directly involved in almost every biological process, have a fundamental role in the immune system, and are probably involved in nearly every human disease. However, glycosylation has been greatly ignored in the area of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) and graft versus host disease (GVHD). Both acute and chronic GVHD are multisystemic debilitating immunological disturbances arising after alloHSCT. In this paper, we review the glycosylation research already done in the field of alloHSCT and GVHD and evaluate further potential of glycan analysis in GVHD by looking into resembling inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Glycan research could bring significant improvement in alloHSCT procedure with reduction in following complications, such as GVHD. Identifying glycan patterns that induce self-tolerance and the ones that cause the auto- and allo-immune response could lead to innovative and tissue-specific immunomodulative therapy instead of the current immunosuppressive treatment, enabling preservation of the graft-versus-tumor effect. Moreover, improved glycan pattern analyses could offer a more complete assessment and greatly needed dynamic biomarkers for GVHD. This review is written with a goal to encourage glycan research in the field of alloHSCT and GVHD as a perspective tool leading to improved engraftment, discovery of much needed biomarkers for GVHD, enabling an appropriate therapy and improved monitoring of therapeutic response. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Glycans in personalised medicine" Guest Editor: Professor Gordan Lauc. •Glycans are involved in almost every biological process.•Glycans are associated with immunological disturbances and autoimmune diseases.•GVHD is alloimmune and autoimmune disorder following alloHSCT.•Glycans have a great research potential in clarifying events after alloHSCT and GVHD.•Glycan research could lead to improved therapy and discovery of biomarkers.