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US, Canadian, and Chinese chemists summarize recent research into the synthesis, principles, and applications of carbohydrates for graduate students and researchers in carbohydrate chemistry, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and glycobiology. The topics include solid phase oligosaccharide synthesis, the chemical synthesis of bioactive steroidal saponins, the chemistry and biology of multi-valent saccharide displays, structures and mechanisms of action of aminoglycoside antibiotics, synthesizing glycosaminoglycans, glycosyltransferases in oligosaccharide synthesis, and metabolic substrate engineering as a tool for glycobiology Glycochemistry: Principles, Synthesis, and Applications presents methods used in the development of carbohydrate-based therapeutics. It highlights applications in chemical and enzymatic synthesis of complex carbohydrates, carbohydrate function, and carbohydrate-mediated biological recognition processes. There are practical examples on the development of carbohydrate-based pharmaceuticals and polymers for commercial use. The text also emphasizes the role of carbohydrates as key elements in modern molecular recognition processes.
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ISBN: 0-8247-0538-6 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Headquarters Marcel Dekker, Inc. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 tel: 212-696-9000; fax: 212-685-4540 Eastern Hemisphere Distribution Marcel Dekker AG Hutgasse 4, Postfach 812, CH-4001 Basel, Switzerland tel: 41-61-261-8482; fax: 41-61-261-8896 World Wide Web http://www.dekker.com The publisher offers discounts on this book when ordered in bulk quantities. For more information, write to Special Sales/Professional Marketing at the headquarters address above. Copyright 䉷 2001 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.
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Preface
Ever since Emil Fischer established the stereochemical configuration of D-(⫹)-glucose at the end of the nineteenth century, carbohydrate chemistry has become an important branch of organic chemistry. Steady advances in carbohydrate synthetic and analytical methods have been made over the past hundred years. However, it is the past two decades that have seen remarkable new discoveries in the biology of carbohydrates and provided renewed impetus to the synthesis of complex glycoconjugates and pursuit of their medicinal and industrial applications. Glycobiology has emerged as an internationally recognized field of study and a potentially promising route to the discovery of novel medicines. Critical biological processes—including regulation of the growth and mobility of cells, immune responses, and reactions of cells to hormones and growth factors—all depend on carbohydrates. In addition, many viruses and bacteria use cell surface carbohydrates to get into cells and initiate infections. The diversity of roles played by carbohydrates makes them exciting new targets for the development of novel treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and cardiovascular disorders. The spur in glycobiology research resulted in the appearance of several enormously successful carbohydrate-based drugs including but certainly not limited to heparin (an anticoagulant) and Relenza (an antiviral). Increasing numbers of organic chemists are venturing into the field of glycochemistry to bring in their own chemical expertise and to expand the area into a truly multidisciplinary field. A major motivation among carbohydrate chemists is to develop tools for probing the biological