Glycans, the carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycolipids, represent a relatively unexploited area for drug development compared with other macromolecules. This review describes the major classes of glycans synthesized by animal cells, their mode of assembly, and available inhibitors for blocking their biosynthesis and function. Many of these agents have proven useful for studying the biological activities of glycans in isolated cells, during embryological development, and in physiology. Some are being used to develop drugs for treating metabolic disorders, cancer, and infection, suggesting that glycans are excellent targets for future drug development.

中文翻译：

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聚糖拮抗剂和抑制剂：药物发现的源泉。

与其他大分子相比，聚糖（糖蛋白，蛋白聚糖和糖脂的碳水化合物链）代表了相对未开发的药物开发领域。这篇综述描述了动物细胞合成的聚糖的主要类别，它们的组装方式以及可用于阻断其生物合成和功能的抑制剂。这些试剂中的许多已被证明对研究分离细胞中的聚糖的生物学活性，胚胎发育期间以及生理学中有用。一些被用于开发用于治疗代谢紊乱，癌症和感染的药物，这表明聚糖是未来药物开发的理想靶标。