Detection of cell type and marker specificity of nuclear binding sites for anionic carbohydrate ligands

The scrambled story between hyaluronan and glioblastoma

Advances in cancer biology are revealing the importance of the cancer cell microenvironment on tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Hyaluronan (HA), the main glycosaminoglycan in the extracellular matrix, has been associated with the progression of glioblastoma (GBM), the most frequent and lethal primary tumor in the central nervous system, for several decades. However, the mechanisms by which HA impacts GBM properties and processes have been difficult to elucidate. In this review, we provide a comprehensive assessment of the current knowledge on HA's effects on GBM biology, introducing its primary receptors CD44 and RHAMM and the plethora of relevant downstream signaling pathways that can scramble efforts to directly link HA activity to biological outcomes. We consider the complexities of studying an extracellular polymer and the different strategies used to try to capture its function, including 2D and 3D in vitro studies, patient samples, and in vivo models. Given that HA affects not only migration and invasion, but also cell proliferation, adherence, and chemoresistance, we highlight the potential role of HA as a therapeutic target. Finally, we review the different existing approaches to diminish its protumor effects, such as the use of 4-methylumbelliferone, HA oligomers, and hyaluronidases and encourage further research along these lines in order to improve the survival and quality of life of GBM patients.

Mammalian lectin as tool in glycochemistry and histochemistry with relevance for diagnostic procedure

Carbohydrates represent a fundamental building unit of living organisms. Many contemporary results introduce these substances as medium with remarkable data storage capacity (glycocode) that is decoded by special receptor counterpartners, lectins. Animal so-called endogenous lectins are presented here as the biotinylated tools for normal lectin histochemistry in accompany with biotinylated (neo)glycoconjugates employed in reverse lectin histochemistry. Practical lesson how to employ these probes in cell/tissue labeling including multiple cell labeling at the single-cell level is also included. Position of glycocode and endogenous lectins in squamous epithelium biology under physiological condition and after the malignant transformation is shown as example of the employment of mentioned probes in research and diagnostics.