ABSTRACT
This comprehensive review meticulously compiles data on an array of lectins and their interactions with different cancer types through specific glycans. Crucially, it establishes the link between aberrant glycosylation and cancer types. This repository of lectin-defined glycan signatures, assumes paramount importance in the realm of cancer and its dynamic nature. Cancer, known for its remarkable heterogeneity and individualized behaviour, can be better understood through these glycan signatures. The current review discusses the important lectins and their carbohydrate specificities, especially recognizing glycans of cancer origin. The review also addresses the key aspects of differentially expressed glycans on normal and cancerous cell surfaces. Specific cancer types highlighted in this review include breast cancer, colon cancer, glioblastoma, cervical cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, and leukaemia. The glycan profiles unveiled through this review hold the key to tailor-made treatment and precise diagnostics. It opens up avenues to explore the potential of targeting glycosyltransferases and glycosidases linked with cancer advancement and metastasis. Armed with knowledge about specific glycan expressions, researchers can design targeted therapies to modulate glycan profiles, potentially hampering the advance of this relentless disease.