Carbohydrate moieties as vaccine candidates: targeting the sweet spot in the immune response.

Advances in the use of carbohydrates as vaccine candidates for the prevention of infectious and malignant diseases was the topic for a meeting in Rockville, MD, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases involving a diverse group of scientists. Participants included research scientists and clinicians from academia and industry, and representatives from the National Institutes of Health and US Food and Drug Administration. This workshop was the third in a series of meetings designed to address issues relating to the immune response to carbohydrate antigens and how this information is used in the development of vaccines. Participants also identified roadblocks, research opportunities and resource needs. The meeting was organized into sessions that focused on recent advances in the immune response to microbial and cancer carbohydrate antigens, glycomics, novel vaccine approaches, novel adjuvants and delivery systems.