# Translating glycans into biomarkers

> **NIH NIH R01** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2024 · $596,254

## Abstract

Alterations in glycosylation have been associated with the development and progression of many
types of cancers and other chronic and acute diseases. Structural glycan analysis on purified
proteins often provides the best “biomarker” information but is time consuming and can take days
or often weeks for the analysis of only a handful of samples.
 To address this limitation, our group has developed a streamlined antibody capture slide
array approach to directly profile N-glycans of captured serum glycoproteins. This method
combines the method of antibody arrays and imaging mass spectrometry to create a new method
of multiplexed N-glycan analysis. Importantly, this assay requires only a few microliters of serum
and utilizes simplified processing workflows that require no protein purification or sugar
modifications prior to analysis. This method is referred to as the GlycoTyper. In this method, N-
linked glycans are PNGase F released on slide from antibody captured glycoproteins and are
directly analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. We have used this methodology to identify
biomarkers of pre-malignant and malignant liver disease.
 Our plan is to transition this method, which utilizes novel glyco-technology into the
commercial setting. To help translate this finding we propose to establish an inter-disciplinary,
multi-institutional research team, working in strategic alliance with both industry and clinical
partners to validate our identified biomarker. This application represents a true synergistic effort
between the group at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the clinical group at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), and an industrial partner GlycoPath
Inc, who has licensed this technology. We believe that this multidisciplinary team will lead to the
rapid and rigorous examination of the proposed biomarker panel.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10979400
- **Project number:** 1R01CA285370-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Anand S. Mehta
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $596,254
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-15 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10979400

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10979400, Translating glycans into biomarkers (1R01CA285370-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10979400. Licensed CC0.

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