Thomsen-friedenreich disaccharide immunogenicity.

Mucin-type O-glycans are upregulated and aberrantly glycosylated in many carcinomas. O-glycan Core 1 (Galbeta1-3GalNAcalpha-O-), also called Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide, is a cryptic structure overexpressed in cancer cells through modification of its glycosyltransferase profile. This molecule is a useful model for study of carbohydrate immunogenicity as well as a candidate for active specific immunotherapy of cancer patients. Several strategies are discussed for enhancing immune response to a particular region of carbohydrate: carbohydrate-protein conjugation, linkers, synthetic clustered sugars, chemical modifications, peptide/protein mimetics, and molecular rotation.