Deciphering disease through glycan codes: leveraging lectin microarrays for clinical insights

Abstract

Glycosylation, a crucial posttranslational modification, plays a significant role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Lectin microarrays, which leverage the high specificity of lectins for sugar binding, are ideally suited for profiling the glycan spectra of diverse and complex biological samples. In this review, we explore the evolution of lectin detection technologies, as well as the applications and challenges of lectin microarrays in analyzing the glycome profiles of various clinical samples, including serum, saliva, tissues, sperm, and urine. This review not only emphasizes significant advancements in the high-throughput analysis of polysaccharides but also provides insight into the potential of lectin microarrays for diagnosing and managing diseases such as tumors, autoimmune diseases, and chronic inflammation. We aim to provide a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the use of lectin microarrays in clinical settings, thereby assisting researchers in conducting clinical studies in glycobiology.

Keywords: biomarkers; clinical sample; glycans; glycomics; lectin microarray.

Figure 1

Lectin microarrays employed for glycan spectrum analysis of clinical samples Initially, researchers collected clinical biological samples such as blood, saliva, tissue, urine, semen, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and cervical-vaginal lavage fluid from study subjects and preprocessed them to obtain samples for testing. Subsequently, researchers utilized glass slides as substrates and employed lectin microarrays prepared with lectins from different species and/or commercial lectin microarrays to analyze the biological samples. Finally, leveraging the high specificity of lectins for sugar binding, researchers have analyzed the differences in the glycan spectra of the samples and their biological significance based on the varying fluorescence signal intensities on the lectin microarray.

Figure 2

Spectrum of diseases in serum glycomics analysis using lectin microarrays Lectin detection in serum glycomics is widely utilized in research on tumors, inflammation, and immune system disorders. Researchers have compared the differences in the serum glycan spectra between the experimental group and the control group, revealing the significant potential value of this method for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis monitoring, and other aspects of disease treatment.

Figure 3

Spectrum of diseases in saliva glycomic analysis using lectin microarrays Researchers have applied lectin microarray technology to saliva glycomics analysis in both oncological and nononcological diseases, conducting exploratory work in biomarker discovery, early cancer detection and screening, disease prevention, and other areas.