New COST action "GLYCONanoPROBES"

PSL is participating in a newly accepted COST action "Functional Glyconanomaterials for the Development of Diagnostics and Targeted Therapeutic Probes" [GLYCONanoPROBES]. The number of participating COST Member countries and cooperating states are 25 (incluing USA). From Finland, besides ÅAU, Turku PET Centre/UTU is a member institution. The network summarizes its main aim as follows:

Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids are the biomacromolecules that constitute the fundamental building blocks of life. Among those, carbohydrates are key players involved in a myriad of molecular recognition events from protein folding, cell-cell communication, bacterial and viral infections to fertilization. Cell-surface carbohydrates can differ considerably between cell lines and also between healthy and disease states. These differences can be exploited for the development of early diagnostic tools, prevention and/or treatment of diseases via for example molecules/probes that target the interactions between key glycans and their receptors.

However, despite their biological significance and therapeutic potential, these important biomolecules have been investigated to a much lesser extend compared to nucleic acids and proteins. The vast complexity of carbohydrate systems combined with the scarcity of glycan-based tools for study have been a major challenge in glycobiology. Thus, the production of tailored and structurally-defined glycan-based probes for biomedical applications represents a significant advancement in the field.

Nanotechnology provides a new array of techniques and platforms to study glycosystems. Recent developments in the field have provided access to an advanced toolkit of synthetic nanomaterials and the techniques to study such molecules at high resolution. In order to successfully develop new glycanconjugated and carbohydrate-derived materials, interdisciplinary collaboration between material scientists, chemists, immunologists, microbiologists, molecular biologists and medics is crucial.

The aim of this action is to bring together experts in these different areas from all around Europe to develop the next generation of functional glyconanomaterials for the development of diagnostic tools and targeted therapeutics.