Potent, cell-permeable, and subtype-selective sialyltransferase inhibitors represent an attractive family of substances that can potentially be used for the clinical treatment of cancer metastasis. These substances operate by specifically inhibiting sialyltransferase-mediated hypersialylation of cell surface glycoproteins or glycolipids, which then blocks the sialic acid recognition pathway and leads to deterioration of cell motility and invasion. A vast amount of evidence for the in vitro and in vivo effects of sialyltransferase inhibition or knockdown on tumor progression and tumor cell metastasis or colonization has been accumulated over the past decades. In this regard, this review comprehensively discusses the results of studies that have led to the recent discovery and development of sialyltransferase inhibitors, their potential biomedical applications in the treatment of cancer metastasis, and their current limitations and future opportunities.

中文翻译：

---

用于治疗癌症转移的唾液酸转移酶抑制剂：当前的挑战和未来的前景


有效的、细胞渗透性的、亚型选择性的唾液酸转移酶抑制剂代表了一个有吸引力的物质家族，有可能用于癌症转移的临床治疗。这些物质通过特异性抑制唾液酸转移酶介导的细胞表面糖蛋白或糖脂的过度唾液酸化来发挥作用，从而阻断唾液酸识别途径并导致细胞运动和侵袭恶化。在过去的几十年里，已经积累了大量关于唾液酸转移酶抑制或敲低对肿瘤进展和肿瘤细胞转移或定植的体外和体内影响的证据。在这方面，这篇综述全面讨论了最近发现和开发唾液酸转移酶抑制剂的研究结果、它们在治疗癌症转移中的潜在生物医学应用、以及它们当前的局限性和未来的机遇。