Glycobiology and the Skin: A New Frontier

Glycobiology is a new frontier in molecular biology that is relevant to dermatology. The term was coined in 1988 by Rademacher et al1 to describe the emerging field that combined the knowledge base of carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry with cellular and molecular biology. There even is a journal that bears the name Glycobiology. Why is glycobiology relevant to dermatology? Glycans are important in the structure and function of the skin and provide a new target for cosmeceutical development. Glycobiology examines sugar chains, or glycans, that are multifunctional. Many macromolecules carry a dense array of covalently attached sugars that mediate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Protein-bound glycans are found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cell where they function as regulatory switches. Therefore, an understanding of glycobiology might provide insight on skin aging and dysfunction. This article examines glycobiology from a dermatologic perspective.