Metastases: the glycan connection

An association between protein glycosylation and tumorigenesis has been rec ognized for over 10 years. Associations linking the importance of glycosyla tion events to tumor biology, especially the progression to metastatic dise ase, have been noted over many years, Recently, a mouse model in which beta 1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (a rate-limiting enzyme in the N-glyc an pathway) has been knocked out, was used to demonstrate the importance of glycosylation in tumor progression. By crossing mice lacking this enzyme w ith a transgenic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer, metastatic progre ssion of the disease was dramatically reduced. These experiments provide in vivo evidence for the role of N-linked glycosylation in metastatic breast cancer and have significant implications for the development of new treatme nt strategies.