GLYCOSCIENCE TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

GLYCOSCIENCE IN MEDICINE

CARBOHYDRATES AND GLYCOCONJUGATES AS THERAPEUTIC AGENTS

A significant number of drugs in use today rely on carbohydrates for part of their therapeutic action. These combinations of carbohydrates and other specific molecules -- together known technically as Glycoconjugates -- span a wide range of drug types and target diseases.

Some of them include:

• Adriamycin (doxorubicin; 14-hydroxydaunomycin), a conjugate of an anthracycline adriamycinone and a sugar daunosamiine, a cancer chemotherapy drug;
  
  
• Acadesine (arasine, protara; AICA-riboside) is a cardioprotective drug;
  
  
• Acarbose, a tetrasaccharide containing an unsaturated cyclitol moiety, antidiabetic;
  
  
• Aclacinomycin A, an antitumor antibiotic complex, a conjugate of an anthracycline aklavinone and a trisaccharide;
  
  
• Aloin, a conjugate of aloe-emodin and glucose, a cathartic drug;
  
  
• Ascorbic acid (vitamin C; 3-oxo-L-gulofuranolactone);
  
  
• Asiaticoside (madecassol; trisaccharide linked to the aglycon), a wound healing drug;
  
  
• Auranofin (aktil, or crisofin), an antirheumatic drug, a thioglucose linked to gold;
  
  
• Azacitidine (mylosar), glycosyl derivative of 5-azocytosine with antibiotic andantitumor activity;
  
  
• Azauridine (AzUR), ribosyl derivative of triazinedione, anticancer drug;
  
  
• Azithromycin (zitromax, or sumamed), contains two sugar residues in a rather complex organic molecule, antibiotic, related to erythromycin A
  
  
• Bleomycins A and B, a group of glycopeptide antibiotics, anticancer agents;
  
  
• Bucladesine, a cardiotonic agent, contains a sugar residue attached to an organic molecule;
  
  
• Butirosin, an aminoglycosidic antibiotic;
  
  
• Candicidin (levorin, or vanobid), antifungal antibiotic, contains an aminosugar linked to a complex organic molecule;
  
  
• Carbomycin (magnamycin), macrolide antibiotic complex containing two sugar residues chemically built into a complex organic molecule;
  
  
• Carubicin (carminomycin), anthracycline antitumor antibiotic, contains a chemically linked aminosugar residue;
  
  
• Chlorozotocin, an aminoglucoside, possessing an antitumor activity;
  
  
• Chromomycin, an antibiotic complex, possessing an antitumor activity, contains five carbohydrate residues chemically attached to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Clarithromycin (biaxin, veclam, or zeclar), an antibiotic, containing two chemically linked carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Clindamycin (dalacin, or sobelin), an antibiotic, containing a thiogalactose residue;
  
  
• Cytarabine (alexan, or cytosar), an antitumor drug, containing an arabinose residue, linked to a small organic molecule;
  
  
• Daunorubicin (daunomycin), an antitumor antibiotic, containing an aminosugar linked to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Destomycin A (destonate), an aminoglycoside antibiotic;
  
  
• Digitalin (diginorgin), a cardiotonic agent, containing glucose and galactose residues linked to each other and to a complex organic molecule;
  
  
• Diosmin (flebosten, or venosmine), a flavonic glycoside (isolated from a plant source), used as a capillary protectant in cases of chronic venous insufficiency;
  
  
• Enocitabine (sunrabin), an antitumor agent, containing an arabinose residue linked to an organic molecule;
  
  
• Epirubicin, an antitumor drug, containing an aminosugar linked to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Erythromycin, a carbohydrate-containing antibiotic;
  
  
• Escin (reparil, or aescusan), a complex drug in use for treatment of peripheral vascular disorders, contains three carbohydrate residues linked to a each other and to a complex organic molecule; Etoposide (lastet, or veresid), an antitumor agent, containing a carbohydrate structure;
  
  
• Formicins (A and B), aminoglycoside antibiotics;
  
  
• Gentamycin, an antibiotic complex containing several carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Idarubicin, an antitumor agent, containing an aminosugar linked to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Isepamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic;
  
  
• Josamycin, macrolide antibiotic, containing several carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Kanamycin, an antibiotic containing several carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Lentinan, a neutral polysaccharide with a primary structure of a branched b-1,3-D-glucan, used as an immunomodulator and an antitumor agent;
  
  
• Midecamycin, macrolide antibiotic complex containing several carbohydrate residues linked to an organic molecule;
  
  
• Neriifolin, a cardiotonic agent, containing a glucose residue linked to a rather complex organic molecule;
  
  
• Nogalamycin, an antitumor antibiotic, containing a carbohydrate residue (L-nogalose) linked to a anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Oleandrin (corrigen, or folinerin), a cardiotonic agent, containing n arabinose residue linked to a complex organic molecule;
  
  
• Paromycin (crestomycin), an oligosaccharide-type antibiotic;
  
  
• Peplomycin, an antitumor agent, containing several carbohydrate residues linked to each other and to a complex organic molecule;
  
  
• Peruvoside (encordin), a cardiac glycoside;
  
  
• Pirarubicin, an antitumor agent, containing a disaccharide structure linked to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Plicamycin, an oligosaccharide antitumor antibiotic, containing a trisaccharide linked to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Puromycin, a sugar-containing antitumor antibiotic;
  
  
• Rhodomycin, an antibiotic, contains two carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Ristocetin, a glycopeptide antibiotic;
  
  
• Rokitamycin, a macrolide antibiotic containing several carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Romurtide (muroctasin), an immunostimulant, contains a carbohydrate structure linked to a complex organic molecule ;
  
  
• Sisomicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic;
  
  
• Spiramycin, an antibiotic, containing three carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Streptomycin, an antibiotic containing a trisaccharide;
  
  
• Tallysomycin, an antibiotic containing several carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Teicoplanin, a glycopeptide antibiotic;
  
  
• Teniposide (vumon), an antitumor agent, containing several carbohydrate tructures;
  
  
• Tetrin, a polyene antifungal antibiotic, containing an aminosugar;
  
  
• Tilmicosin (micotil), a macrolide antibiotic containing two carbohydrate structures;
  
  
• Tobramycin (tobracin, or tobrex), an oligosaccharide antibiotic;
  
  
• Tribenoside (alven, flebosan, or venex), a sclerosing agent, containing a carbohydrate residue; Tunicamycin, enhances antiviral and anticellular activity of interferon, contains several carbohydrate residues;
  
  
• Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic;
  
  
• Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin, or vitarubin), contains a carbohydrate structure;
  
  
• Zalcitabine, an antiviral agent, containing a carbohydrate residue;
  
  
• Zorubicin, an antitumor agent, contains an aminosugar linked to an anthracycline structure;
  
  
• Zidovudine (retrovir, or aztec), used in treatment of AIDS, contains a carbohydrate structure.

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