Biopharmaceutical applications of α‐galactosidases

Abstract

α‐Galactosidases are exoglycosidases that are active on galactose‐containing side chains in oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycolipids, and glycoproteins. α‐Galactosidases are gaining increased interest in human medicine, especially in the enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry's disease. α‐Galactosidases with regioselectivity toward α‐1,3‐linked galactose find application in xenotransplantation and blood group transformation. The use of α‐galactosidases as a therapeutic agent in alleviating the postprandial symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is much acclaimed. The excellent therapeutic applications of α‐galactosidases have led to an upwelling of worldwide research interventions to identify novel α‐galactosidases with improved catalytic efficiency. In addition to these therapeutic applications, α‐galactosidases also have interesting applications in the industrial sectors like food, feed, probiotics, sugar, and paper pulp. The current review focuses on the diverse therapeutic applications of α‐galactosidases and their prospects.

Live‐Cell Glycocalyx Engineering

“…[45] The enzymes that cleave the galactose epitopes on the surface of xeno-organs have been reported. [46] We envision that the successes in remodeling xeno-antigens by chemoenzymatic glycan engineering will tremendously expand the use of xenotransplantation.…”