Live‐Cell Glycocalyx Engineering

Abstract

A heavy layer of glycans forms a brush matrix bound to the outside of all the cells in our bodies; it is referred to as the “sugar forest” or glycocalyx. Beyond the increased appreciation of the glycocalyx over the past two decades, recent advances in engineering the glycocalyx on live cells have spurred the creation of cellular drugs and novel medical treatments. The development of new tools and techniques has empowered scientists to manipulate the structures and functions of cell‐surface glycans on target cells and endow target cells with desired properties. Herein, we provide an overview of live‐cell glycocalyx engineering strategies for controlling the cell‐surface molecular repertory to suit therapeutic applications, even though the realm of this field remains young and largely unexplored.

Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Cellular Organelles

“…The chapters in this review are categorized according to the individual organelles targeted. We have chosen not to include studies that focus on labeling cellular membranes using metabolic glycoengineering, as they have already been recently discussed in a number of excellent reviews [ 18 – 21 ]. Our review also excludes studies involving the utilization of light as a trigger for chemical reactions, which mainly focus on uncaging molecules in the context of cellular organelles [ 22 – 25 ].…”