The glycoimmune landscape in health and disease

Abstract

Emerging observations at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels have unveiled critical roles for glycans in regulating a broad range of innate and adaptive immune cell processes. Through interactions with various families of glycan-binding proteins, including galectins, C-type lectins, and siglecs, glycans shape the nature, the fate and the function of immune cell types, modulating processes such as immune cell development, activation, differentiation, trafficking, exhaustion, and survival. Furthermore, dysregulated glycosylation pathways and altered glycan-binding receptor functions are associated with several pathological conditions, including infection, autoimmunity, and cancer. This special issue highlights the most recent updates and current challenges on the multifunctional roles of glycans and glycan-binding proteins in orchestrating, amplifying, or inhibiting immune responses. This collection seeks to enhance awareness of the significance of glycans in immunobiology and immunopathology from cellular, molecular, and evolutionary perspectives into clinical applications, underscoring their relevance as promising biomarkers and targets for designing novel immunotherapeutic approaches.