Abstract

Cell-Surface Glycan Targeting Lectin Nanoparticles for the Theragnosis of Tumor

Jonghoon Choi, Professor, Chung-Ang University

The unique profile of upregulated glycosylation in metastatic cancer cells may form the basis for the development of new biomarkers for the targeting and diagnosis of specific cancers. This work will introduce a pancreatic cancer cell-derived exosome detection and tumor targeting technology, which is based on the specific binding of lectins to distinctive glycan profiles on the surface of exosomes and tumor cells. Lectins with a high and specific affinity for sialic acid or fucose were attached to bifunctional nanoparticles, which facilitated interactions with pancreatic cancer cell-derived exosomes in a microfluidic device. The lectin affinity to surface glycan of tumor cells can also be the strategy to treat tumor cells with lectin-nanoparticles in the immuno- and photothermal therapy. This strategy opens the possibility to achieve a new early diagnosis marker and target moiety based on the surface-glycan properties of cancer cells.