Sialic acid plays an important role in pathology and physiology. CD BioGlyco has accumulated extensive experience in the analysis of sialic acid and its derivatives.
Sialic acids are frequently found in nature in many molecular forms, which are regularly present in higher animals like Echinoderma, Hemichorda, Cephalocorda, and Vertebrata. Sialic acid occurs mainly as a terminal moiety of many glycoconjugates (glycoproteins; glycolipids) and carbohydrate chains (oligosaccharides, capsular and tissue polysialic acids, bacterial lipooligosaccharides/polysaccharides) in various chemical forms, which greatly affects their biology. In naturally occurring sialic acid-containing structures, the sialic acid units play important roles in many physiological and pathological processes via carbohydrate-protein interactions, including cellular recognition and communication, cellular aggregation and development, controlling the lifetimes of glycoconjugates in organisms, mediating bacterial and viral infections, and being involved in tumor growth.
CD BioGlyco has developed accurate, simple, and rapid methods for quantifying and analyzing sialic acid. For example, we provide an effective analysis of sialic acid using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). In addition, we quantify sialic acids and sialylated proteins using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We measure the content of sialic acids using fluorometric assays including 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, thiobarbiturate, pyridoxamine, acetylacetone/periodic acid, and acetoacetanilide/ammonia.
Abnormal sialylation is associated with a variety of cancers, such as head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, melanoma, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. CD BioGlyco has developed analysis strategies for sialic acids that could be used for sialic acid levels analysis in cancer research.
Sialyl tumor antigens are sialyl tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens which mainly include sialyl Lewis a antigen, sialyl Lewis x antigen, sialyl T, and sialyl Tn antigen. Sialyl Lewis a and sialyl Lewis x function as E-selectin epitopes promoting tumor cell interaction with endothelial cells. Sialyl Tn antigens are also targets for breast cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, glycopeptides containing sialyl tumor antigens are used as potential preventive vaccines for carcinomas.
CD BioGlyco has a lot of successful experience in the analysis of sialic acids. We provide one-stop sialic acid analysis services to scientific researchers from all over the world. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
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