Therapy-induced neoglycans in cancer cells
Tumor-associated neoglycans represent a very promising direction in tumor immunotherapy. However, the specificity of such therapeutic applications is often limited due to presence of similar structures on normal tissues. We have discovered that upon application of 2-deoxy-glucose (2DG) the glycosylation of cellular proteins in cancer cells rises dramatically. This potentially renders cancer cells more immunogenic and opens up new avenues for possible therapeutic approaches.
By combining lectin affinity chromatography with two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry-based proteomic and glycoproteomic methods we identify and characterize glycoprotein-harbored neoantigens on cancer cells and tissues.