Recent advances in the analysis of carbohydrates for biomedical use

Glycans are widely distributed in biological systems in free state as well as conjugated forms as parts of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans. Because glycans are not synthesized directly by the corresponding genes but a combination of the related enzymes and substrates, the structures of glycans are quite diverse and sensitive with the changes of physiological conditions. Due to the extremely complex heterogeneities of glycans, it has been a big challenging target to analyze comprehensive glycan profiles (i.e. glycome) and determine characteristic glycan(s) for clinical use. Recent advances in separation sciences such as capillary/microchip electrophoresis and mass spectrometry have made it possible to analyze glycans for various practical uses. New emerging technologies of microarray and bioinformatics have also been applied to glycome/glycomics studies. In this review, recent topics on glycan analysis in clinical use are described with their historical background. Some results obtained by our studies are also shown.