The Role of Glycosylation in Infectious Diseases

Glycosylation plays an important role in infectious diseases. Many important interactions between pathogens and hosts involve their carbohydrate structures (glycans). Glycan interactions can mediate adhesion, recognition, invasion, and immune evasion of pathogens. To date, changes in many protein N/O-linked glycosylation have been identified as biomarkers for the development of infectious diseases and cancers. In this review, we will discuss the principal findings and the roles of glycosylation of both pathogens and host cells in the context of human important infectious diseases. Understanding the role and mechanism of glycan-lectin interaction between pathogens and hosts may create a new paradigm for discovering novel glycan-based therapies that can lead to eradication or functional cure of pathogens infection.