Carbohydrate–macrocycle conjugates for biomedical applications

Carbohydrates are of great importance in a variety of biological processes, including but not limited to, energy production, energy storage, protein recognition, immune response, and macromolecule decoration. Many of the biofunctions of carbohydrates are achieved through a multivalent effect, so the construction of a multivalent carbohydrate system has remained an important topic in glycobiochemistry. Supramolecular macrocycles are characterized by an adjustable cavity, controllable conformation, precise structure, modifiability, and a pre-organized structure. Combined with their recognition and assembly properties, supramolecular macrocycles play an important role in the field of biomedical materials. This review focuses on the synthesis of such conjugates and discusses the biofunctions of carbohydrates and macrocycles, the synergetic contribution of the conjugates, and the perspectives of carbohydrate–macrocycle conjugates.