Synthesis of lactose-based S-linked sialylmimetics of alpha(2,3)-sialosides.

A new approach toward the synthesis of lactose-based S-linked sialylmimetics of a(2,3)-linked sialosides is described. These compounds, represented by the general structure 3, were prepared from methyl ߭d-lactoside in 11 steps. It was found that the choice of protecting group was crucial to allow the efficient introduction of sulfur at the 3-position of the galactose ring.Office of the Snr Dep Vice Chancellor, Institute for GlycomicsNo Full Tex

Glycodendrimers: versatile tools for nanotechnology

Combining nanotechnology with glycobiology has triggered an exponential growth of research activities in the design of novel functional bionanomaterials (glyconanotechnology). More specifically, recent synthetic advances towards the tailored and versatile design of glycosylated nanoparticles namely glyconanoparticles, considered as synthetic mimetics of natural glycoconjugates, paved the way toward diverse biomedical applications. The accessibility of a wide variety of these structured nanosystems, in terms of shapes, sizes, and organized around stable nanoparticles have readily contributed to their development and applications in nanomedicine. In this context, glycosylated gold-nanoparticles (GNPs), glycosylated quantum dots (QDs), fullerenes, single-wall natotubes (SWNTs), and self-assembled glycononanoparticles using amphiphilic glycopolymers or glycodendrimers have received considerable attention to afford powerful imaging, therapeutic, and biodiagnostic devices. This review will provide an overview of the most recent syntheses and applications of glycodendrimers in glycoscience that have permitted to deepen our understanding of multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions. Together with synthetic breast cancer vaccines, inhibitors of bacterial adhesions to host tissues including sensitive detection devices, these novel bionanomaterials are finding extensive relevance