Glycodendrimer mediation of Galectin-3 induced cancer cell aggregation

Abstract

Galectin-3 is a cell surface protein that plays an important role in tumor aggregation, tumor progression and metastasis via its interaction with carbohydrates in the biological system. A synthetic, carbohydrate-functionalized, multivalent framework is ideal to study biological protein/carbohydrate interactions. In this research, dendrimers are used as a platform for the display of carbohydrates to study multivalent galectin-3/carbohydrate interactions as they pertain to tumor aggregation. The hypothesis is that the addition of carbohydrate functionalized dendrimers will mimic natural galectin-3 glycoconjugate ligands, affecting the aggregating behavior of neoplastic cells. A galectin-3 inhibitor may prove to be an effective cancer therapeutic agent. Results from homotypic aggregation assays show a change in aggregation with the addition of particular carbohydrate-functionalized dendrimers. Two of the glycodendrimers significantly inhibit tumor cell aggregation.