AAV vectors applied to the treatment of CNS disorders: Clinical status and challenges.

In recent years, adeno-associated virus (AAV) has become the most important vector for central nervous system (CNS) gene therapy. AAV has already shown promising results in the clinic, for several CNS diseases that cannot be treated with drugs, including neurodegenerative diseases, neuromuscular diseases, and lysosomal storage disorders. Currently, three of the four commercially available AAV-based drugs focus on neurological disorders, including Upstaza for aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency, Luxturna for hereditary retinal dystrophy, and Zolgensma for spinal muscular atrophy. All these studies have provided paradigms for AAV-based therapeutic intervention platforms. AAV gene therapy, with its dual promise of targeting disease etiology and enabling 'long-term correction' of disease processes, has the advantages of immune privilege, high delivery efficiency, tissue specificity, and cell tropism in the CNS. Although AAV-based gene therapy has been shown to be effective in most CNS clinical trials, limitations have been observed in its clinical applications, which are often associated with side effects. In this review, we summarized the therapeutic progress, challenges, limitations, and solutions for AAV-based gene therapy in 14 types of CNS diseases. We focused on viral vector technologies, delivery routes, immunosuppression, and other relevant clinical factors. We also attempted to integrate several hurdles faced in clinical and preclinical studies with their solutions, to seek the best path forward for the application of AAV-based gene therapy in the context of CNS diseases. We hope that these thoughtful recommendations will contribute to the efficient translation of preclinical studies and wide application of clinical trials.

Long non­coding RNA NEAT1 promotes mouse granulosa cell proliferation and estradiol synthesis by sponging miR­874­3p.

It has been reported that long non-coding RNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) is involved in follicular growth and multiple ovarian diseases, but not the physiological function of NEAT1 in mouse granulosa cells (mGCs). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the biological roles and regulatory mechanisms of NEAT1 in mGCs. The biological effects of NEAT1 on mGCs proliferation, apoptosis, production of 17ß-Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) were investigated using MTS, flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively. The association between NEAT1 and microRNA (miR)-874-3p was verified using luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation analysis. The results demonstrated that the knockdown of NEAT1 in mGC cells significantly promoted mGCs cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and increased the production of E2 and P4 in mGCs. The interference-mediated effect of NEAT1 on mGCs could be partially reversed by the downregulation of miR-874-3p. Overall, these results indicated that NEAT1 served as a competing endogenous RNA by competitively binding with miR-874-3p, thereby modulating mGCs proliferation and the production of E2 and P4 in mGCs.

Identification and characterization of the novel leaf rust resistance gene Lr81 in wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: The novel, leaf rust seedling resistance gene, Lr81, was identified in a Croatian breeding line and mapped to a genomic region of less than 100 Kb on chromosome 2AS. Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina, is the most common and widespread rust disease in wheat. Races of Puccinia triticina evolve rapidly in the southern Great Plains of the USA, and leaf rust resistance genes often lose effectiveness shortly after deployment in wheat production. PI 470121, a wheat breeding line developed by the University of Zagreb in Croatia, showed high resistance to Puccinia triticina races collected from Oklahoma, suggesting that PI 470121 could be a leaf rust resistance source for the southern Great Plains of the USA. Genetic analysis based on an F2 population and F2:3 families derived from the cross PI 470121 × Stardust indicated that PI 470121 carries a dominant seedling resistance gene, designated as Lr81. Linkage mapping delimited Lr81 to a genomic region of 96,148 bp flanked by newly developed KASP markers Xstars-KASP320 and Xstars-KASP323 on the short arm of chromosome 2A, spanning 67,030,206-67,132,354 bp in the Chinese Spring reference assembly (IWGSC RefSeq v1.0). Deletion bin mapping assigned Lr81 to the terminal bin 2AS-0.78-1.00. Allelism tests indicated that Lr81 is a distinctive leaf rust resistance locus with the physical order Lr65-Lr17-Lr81. Marker-assisted selection based on a set of markers closely linked to leaf rust resistance genes in PI 470121 and Stardust enabled identification of a recombinant inbred line RIL92 carrying Lr81 only. Lr81 is a valuable leaf rust resistance source that can be rapidly introgressed into locally adapted cultivars using KASP markers Xstars-KASP320 and Xstars-KASP323.

Hyperlipidemia patients carrying LDLR splicing mutation c.1187-2A>G respond favorably to rosuvastatin and PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab.

Mutations in the LDL receptor gene LDLR cause familial hypercholesterolemia (FH); however, the pharmacogenomics of specific LDLR mutations remains poorly understood. The goals of this study were to identify the genetic cause of a three-generation Chinese family affected with autosomal dominant FH, and to investigate the response of FH patients in the family to statin and evolocumab. Whole exome sequencing of the FH family with four patients and six unaffected members identified a heterozygous splicing mutation (c.1187-2A>G) in LDLR. The mutation co-segregated with FH in the family, providing strong genetic evidence to support its pathogenicity. The proband was a 48-year-old male FH patient who had an acute myocardial infarction (MI) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), and showed LDL-C of 5.23 mmol/L. A combination of life style modifications on food and exercise and treatment with rosuvastatin reduced his LDL-C to 2.05-2.80 mmol/L. Addition of ezetimibe did not improve rosuvastatin therapy, but addition of evolocumab further reduced LDL-C by 70% to 0.7 mmol/L at the first time and by 67% to 1.31 mmol/L at the second time. Rosuvastatin also reduced LDL-C for proband's father and sister by 40% and 43-63%, respectively. Lovastatin alone or addition to rosuvastatin treatment did not have any effect on LDL-C for the proband and his son. Both patients carry ApoE 3/4 genotype and SLCO1B1 rs4149056 TT genotype. These results suggest that combined treatment with rosuvastatin (but not lovastatin or ezetimibe) and evolocumab can control LDL-C to meet the LDL-C treatment goal for patients with LDLR splicing mutation c.1187-2A>G.

Next generation of neurological therapeutics: Native and bioengineered extracellular vesicles derived from stem cells.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs)-based cell-free therapy, particularly stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (SC-EVs), offers new insights into treating a series of neurological disorders and becomes a promising candidate for alternative stem cell regenerative therapy. Currently, SC-EVs are considered direct therapeutic agents by themselves and/or dynamic delivery systems as they have a similar regenerative capacity of stem cells to promote neurogenesis and can easily load many functional small molecules to recipient cells in the central nervous system. Meanwhile, as non-living entities, SC-EVs avoid the uncontrollability and manufacturability limitations of live stem cell products in vivo (e.g., low survival rate, immune response, and tumorigenicity) and in vitro (e.g., restricted sources, complex preparation processes, poor quality control, low storage, shipping instability, and ethical controversy) by strict quality control system. Moreover, SC-EVs can be engineered or designed to enhance further overall yield, increase bioactivity, improve targeting, and extend their half-life. Here, this review provides an overview on the biological properties of SC-EVs, and the current progress in the strategies of native or bioengineered SC-EVs for nerve injury repairing is presented. Then we further summarize the challenges of recent research and perspectives for successful clinical application to advance SC-EVs from bench to bedside in neurological diseases.

Preparation and evaluation of virus-like particle vaccine against H3N8 subtype equine influenza.

To prevent and control H3N8 subtype equine influenza, we prepared virus-like particles (VLPs) comprising the HA, NA and M1 proteins of H3N8 equine influenza virus (EIV) through the insect cell-baculovirus expression system. The results of Western blot and hemagglutination analyses demonstrated that the constructed VLPs comprising HA, NA and M1 proteins have good hemagglutination activity. Immunoelectron microscope revealed that the VLPs share similar morphology and structure with natural virus particles. The hyperimmune serum from horses immunized with the VLPs were injected into mice by means of artificial passive immunization and then challenge, or challenge following by injecting hyperimmune serum. The results showed that the equine hyperimmune serum has good preventive and therapeutic efficacy against the infection of H3N8 EIV. The study provides a technical foundation for the development of H3N8 EIV VLP vaccine.

TAGAP instructs Th17 differentiation by bridging Dectin activation to EPHB2 signaling in innate antifungal response.

The TAGAP gene locus has been linked to several infectious diseases or autoimmune diseases, including candidemia and multiple sclerosis. While previous studies have described a role of TAGAP in T cells, much less is known about its function in other cell types. Here we report that TAGAP is required for Dectin-induced anti-fungal signaling and proinflammatory cytokine production in myeloid cells. Following stimulation with Dectin ligands, TAGAP is phosphorylated by EPHB2 at tyrosine 310, which bridges proximal Dectin-induced EPHB2 activity to downstream CARD9-mediated signaling pathways. During Candida albicans infection, mice lacking TAGAP mount defective immune responses, impaired Th17 cell differentiation, and higher fungal burden. Similarly, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis, TAGAP deficient mice develop significantly attenuated disease. In summary, we report that TAGAP plays an important role in linking Dectin-induced signaling to the promotion of effective T helper cell immune responses, during both anti-fungal host defense and autoimmunity.

Targeted sequencing of candidate genes of dyslipidemia in Punjabi Sikhs: Population-specific rare variants in GCKR promote ectopic fat deposition.

Dyslipidemia is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Although, advances in genome-wide technologies have enabled the discovery of hundreds of genes associated with blood lipid phenotypes, most of the heritability remains unexplained. Here we performed targeted resequencing of 13 bona fide candidate genes of dyslipidemia to identify the underlying biological functions. We sequenced 940 Sikh subjects with extreme serum levels of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and 2,355 subjects were used for replication studies; all 3,295 participants were part of the Asian Indians Diabetic Heart Study. Gene-centric analysis revealed burden of variants for increasing HTG risk in GCKR (p = 2.1x10-5), LPL (p = 1.6x10-3) and MLXIPL (p = 1.6x10-2) genes. Of these, three missense and damaging variants within GCKR were further examined for functional consequences in vivo using a transgenic zebrafish model. All three mutations were South Asian population-specific and were largely absent in other multiethnic populations of Exome Aggregation Consortium. We built different transgenic models of human GCKR with and without mutations and analyzed the effects of dietary changes in vivo. Despite the short-term of feeding, profound phenotypic changes were apparent in hepatocyte histology and fat deposition associated with increased expression of GCKR in response to a high fat diet (HFD). Liver histology of the GCKRmut showed severe fatty metamorphosis which correlated with ~7 fold increase in the mRNA expression in the GCKRmut fish even in the absence of a high fat diet. These findings suggest that functionally disruptive GCKR variants not only increase the risk of HTG but may enhance ectopic lipid/fat storage defects in absence of obesity and HFD. To our knowledge, this is the first transgenic zebrafish model of a putative human disease gene built to accurately assess the influence of genetic changes and their phenotypic consequences in vivo.

Mutation in NPPA causes atrial fibrillation by activating inflammation and cardiac fibrosis in a knock-in rat model.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects >30 million individuals worldwide. However, no genetic mutation from human patients with AF has been linked to inflammation. Here, we show that AF-associated human variant p.Ile138Thr in natriuretic peptide A (NPPA) encoding the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) causes inflammation, fibroblast activation, atrial fibrosis, and AF in knock-in (KI) rats. Variant p.Ile138Thr inhibits the interaction between ANP and its receptor natriuretic peptide receptor A and reduces intracellular cGMP levels. RNA sequencing and follow-up analyses showed that mutant ANP (mANP) activates multiple innate immunity pathways, including TNF-α, NF-κB, and IL-1ß signaling. mANP induces differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) to myofibroblasts and promotes CF proliferation and fibrosis. These results suggest that NPPA variant p.Ile138Thr causes AF by activating TNF-α, NF-κB, and IL-1ß signaling, inflammation, and fibrosis. Multiple computational programs suggest that p.Ile138Thr is damaging or deleterious. Based on the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Standards and Guidelines, p.Ile138Thr can be classified as a likely pathogenic variant. Variant p.Ile138Thr was found only in Asian people in the Genome Aggregation Database and Exome Aggregation Consortium database at an averaged frequency of 0.026%. An estimated 1.15 million Asian people carry the variant and might be at risk of AF. The KI rats may provide an inflammation-based, genetic animal model for AF valuable for testing anti-inflammation or other therapies for AF.-Cheng, C., Liu, H., Tan, C., Tong, D., Zhao, Y., Liu, X., Si, W., Wang, L., Liang, L., Li, J., Wang, C., Chen, Q., Du, Y., Wang, Q. K., Ren, X. Mutation in NPPA causes atrial fibrillation by activating inflammation and cardiac fibrosis in a knock-in rat model.

Characterization of Pm63, a powdery mildew resistance gene in Iranian landrace PI 628024.

KEY MESSAGE: A new powdery mildew resistance gene conferring a wide spectrum of resistance to Bgt isolates in the USA, Pm63 , was identified in Iranian wheat landrace PI 628024 and mapped to the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 2B. Powdery mildew is a globally important wheat disease causing severe yield losses, and host resistance is the preferred strategy for managing this disease. The objective of this study was to characterize a powdery mildew resistance gene in Iranian landrace PI 628024, which exhibited a wide spectrum of resistance to representative Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) isolates collected from different regions of the USA. An F2 population and F2:3 lines derived from the cross PI 628024 × CItr 11349 were used in this study, and genetic analysis indicated that a single dominant gene, designated Pm63, conferred resistance to Bgt isolate OKS(14)-B-3-1. Linkage analysis located Pm63 to an interval of about 13.1 Mb on the long arm of chromosome 2B, spanning 710.3-723.4 Mb in the Chinese Spring reference sequence. Bin mapping assigned Pm63 to the terminal bin 2BL6-0.89-1.0, 1.1 cM proximal to STS marker Xbcd135-2 and 0.6 cM distal to SSR marker Xstars419. Allelism tests indicated that Pm63 is a new powdery mildew resistance gene, which differs from other genes in the terminal bin by origin, genomic location, and responses to a set of 16 representative US Bgt isolates. Pm63 can be widely used to enhance powdery mildew resistance in the Great Plains, western, and southeastern regions of the USA.

MicroRNA-205 affects mouse granulosa cell apoptosis and estradiol synthesis by targeting CREB1.

MicroRNA-205 (miR-205) is involved in various physiological and pathological processes, but its biological function in follicular atresia remains unclear. In this study, we investigated miR-205 expression in mouse granulosa cells (mGCs) and analyzed its functions in primary mGCs by performing a series of in vitro experiments. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that miR-205 expression was significantly higher in early atretic follicles and progressively atretic follicles than in healthy follicles. miR-205 overexpression in mGCs significantly promoted apoptosis and caspase-3/9 activities, as well as inhibited estrogen (E2) release and cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A polypeptide 1 (CYP19A1, a key gene in E2 production) expression. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays revealed that the gene encoding cyclic AMP response element (CRE)-binding protein 1 (CREB1) was a direct target of miR-205 in mGCs. CREB1 upregulation partially rescued the effects of miR-205 on apoptosis, caspase-3/9 activities, E2 production, and CYP19A1 expression on mGCs. These results indicate that miR-205 might play an important role in ovarian follicular development and provide new insights into follicular atresia.

Knockdown of CREB1 promotes apoptosis and decreases estradiol synthesis in mouse granulosa cells.

Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein 1 (CREB1), a member of the CREB family, is known to be involved in follicular growth, ovulation, and ovarian disease. However, the physiological function of CREB1 in mouse granulosa cells (mGCs) remains lagerly unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the role of CREB1 in mGCs by knocking down CREB1 expression. CREB1 knock-down in mGCs at the mRNA and protein levels, was confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Results of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay revealed that CREB1 knockdown significantly decreased the concentrations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in mGCs. Furthermore, the CREB1 knockdown in mGCs promoted cell proliferation and apoptosis, and arrested the cell cycle in S-phase. To elucidate the regulatory mechanism underlying the effects of CREB1 knockdown on steroid synthesis, cell cycle, and apoptosis, we measured the protein expression levels of several related genes in mGCs knocked down CREB1. When CREB1 was knocked down, the expression of Cyp1b1 and Cyp19a1, which encode steroidogenic enzymes, was down-regulated; the expression of the cell cycle factors CyclinA1, CyclinB1, and CyclinD2 were significantly decreased. Among apoptosis-related genes, Bcl-2 was down-regulated, whereas Bax and cleaved Caspase3 were upregulated. Moreover, CREB1 knockdown significantly decreased expression level of Has2, Ptgs2, and Igfbp4, which are essential genes for folliculogenesis in mGCs. Taken together, these findings suggested that CREB1 might be a key regulator of mGCs through regulating steroid synthesis, cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and other regulators of folliculogenesis.

Characterization of Pm59, a novel powdery mildew resistance gene in Afghanistan wheat landrace PI 181356.

KEY MESSAGE: A new powdery mildew resistance gene, designated Pm59, was identified in Afghanistan wheat landrace PI 181356, and mapped in the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 7A. Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is an important foliar disease of wheat worldwide. In the Great Plains of the USA, Bgt isolates virulent to widely used powdery mildew resistance genes, such as Pm3a, were previously identified. The objectives of this study were to characterize the powdery mildew resistance gene in Afghanistan landrace PI 181356, which exhibited high resistance to Bgt isolates collected in southern Great Plains, and identify molecular markers for marker-assisted selection. An F2 population and F2:3 lines derived from a cross between PI 181356 and OK1059060-126135-3 were used in this study. Genetic analysis indicated that PI 181356 carries a single dominant gene, designated Pm59, in the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 7A. Pm59 was mapped to an interval between sequence tag site (STS) markers Xmag1759 and Xmag1714 with genetic distances of 0.4 cM distal to Xmag1759 and 5.7 cM proximal to Xmag1714. Physical mapping suggested that Pm59 is in the distal bin 7AL 0.99-1.00. Pm59 is a novel powdery mildew resistance gene, and confers resistance to Bgt isolates collected from the Great Plains and the state of Montana. Therefore, Pm59 can be used to breed powdery mildew-resistant cultivars in these regions. Xmag1759 is ideal for marker-assisted selection of Pm59 in wheat breeding.

Significant genetic association of a functional TFPI variant with circulating fibrinogen levels and coronary artery disease.

The tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) gene encodes a protease inhibitor with a critical role in regulation of blood coagulation. Some genomic variants in TFPI were previously associated with plasma TFPI levels, however, it remains to be further determined whether TFPI variants are associated with other coagulation factors. In this study, we carried out a large population-based study with 2313 study subjects for blood coagulation data, including fibrinogen levels, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and thrombin time (TT). We identified significant association of TFPI variant rs10931292 (a functional promoter variant with reduced transactivation) with increased plasma fibrinogen levels (P = 0.017 under a recessive model), but not with PT, APTT or TT (P > 0.05). Using a large case-control association study population with 4479 CAD patients and 3628 controls, we identified significant association between rs10931292 and CAD under a recessive model (OR 1.23, P = 0.005). For the first time, we show that a TFPI variant is significantly associated with fibrinogen levels and risk of CAD. Our finding contributes significantly to the elucidation of the genetic basis and biological pathways responsible for fibrinogen levels and development of CAD.

Genomic Variant in IL-37 Confers A Significant Risk of Coronary Artery Disease.

The interleukin 1 family plays an important role in the immune and inflammatory responses. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a chronic inflammatory disease. However, the genetic association between IL-37, the seventh member of the IL-1 family, and CAD is unknown. Here we show that a single nucleotide polymorphism in the IL-37 gene (rs3811047) confers a significant risk of CAD. We have performed an association analysis between rs3811047 and CAD in two independent populations with 2,501 patients and 3,116 controls from China. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis has been performed to determine if the IL-37 expression level is influenced by rs3811047. We show that the minor allele A of rs3811047 is significantly associated with CAD in two independent populations under a recessive model (Padj = 5.51 × 10-3/OR = 1.56 in the GeneID Northernern population and Padj = 1.23 × 10-3/OR = 1.45 in the GeneID Central population). The association became more significant in the combined population (Padj = 9.70 × 10-6/OR = 1.47). Moreover, the association remains significant in a CAD case control population matched for age and sex. Allele A of rs3811047 shows significant association with a decreased mRNA expression level of IL-37 (n = 168, P = 3.78 × 10-4). These data suggest that IL37 is a new susceptibility gene for CAD, which provides a potential target for the prevention and treatment of CAD.

Genomic variant in CAV1 increases susceptibility to coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The CAV1 gene encodes caveolin-1 expressed in cell types relevant to atherosclerosis. Cav-1-null mice showed a protective effect on atherosclerosis under the ApoE(-/-) background. However, it is unknown whether CAV1 is linked to CAD and MI in humans. In this study we analyzed a tagSNP for CAV1 in intron 2, rs3807989, for potential association with CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed case-control association studies in three independent Chinese Han populations from GeneID, including 1249 CAD cases and 841 controls in Population I, 1260 cases and 833 controls in Population II and 790 cases and 1212 controls in Population III (a total of 3299 cases and 2886 controls). We identified significant association between rs3807989 and CAD in three independent populations and in the combined population (Padj = 2.18 × 10(-5), OR = 1.19 for minor allele A). We also detected significant association between rs3807989 and MI (Padj = 5.43 × 10(-5), OR = 1.23 for allele A). Allele A of SNP rs3807989 was also associated with a decreased level of LDL cholesterol. Although rs3807989 is a tagSNP for both CAV1 and nearby CAV2, allele A of SNP rs3807989 was associated with an increased expression level of CAV1 (both mRNA and protein), but not CAV2. CONCLUSIONS: The data in this study demonstrated that rs3807989 at the CAV1/CAV2 locus was associated with significant risk of CAD and MI by increasing expression of CAV1 (but not CAV2). Thus, CAV1 becomes a strong candidate susceptibility gene for CAD/MI in humans.

Development and characterization of genomic SSR markers in Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy.

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are a major molecular tool for genetic and genomic research that have been extensively developed and used in major crops. However, few are available in African bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy), an economically important warm-season turfgrass species. African bermudagrass is mainly used for hybridizations with common bermudagrass [C. dactylon var. dactylon (L.) Pers.] in the development of superior interspecific hybrid turfgrass cultivars. Accordingly, the major objective of this study was to develop and characterize a large set of SSR markers. Genomic DNA of C. transvaalensis '4200TN 24-2' from an Oklahoma State University (OSU) turf nursery was extracted for construction of four SSR genomic libraries enriched with [CA](n), [GA](n), [AAG](n), and [AAT](n) as core repeat motifs. A total of 3,064 clones were sequenced at the OSU core facility. The sequences were categorized into singletons and contiguous sequences to exclude redundancy. From the two sequence categories, 1,795 SSR loci were identified. After excluding duplicate SSRs by comparison with previously developed SSR markers using a nucleotide basic local alignment tool, 1,426 unique primer pairs (PPs) were designed. Out of the 1,426 designed PPs, 981 (68.8 %) amplified alleles of the expected size in the donor DNA. Polymorphisms of the SSR PPs tested in eight C. transvaalensis plants were 93 % polymorphic with 544 markers effective in all genotypes. Inheritance of the SSRs was examined in six F(1) progeny of African parents 'T577' × 'Uganda', indicating 917 markers amplified heritable alleles. The SSR markers developed in the study are the first large set of co-dominant markers in African bermudagrass and should be highly valuable for molecular and traditional breeding research.

Fucosylation is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Oligosaccharides, sequences of carbohydrates conjugated to proteins and lipids, are arguably the most abundant and structurally diverse class of molecules. Fucosylation is one of the most important oligosaccharide modifications involved in cancer and inflammation. Recent advances in glycomics have identified several types of glyco-biomarkers containing fucosylation that are linked to certain types of cancer. Fucosylated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is widely used in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma because it is more specific than alpha-fetoprotein. High levels of fucosylated haptoglobin have also been found in sera of patients with various carcinomas. We have recently established a simple lectin-antibody ELISA to measure fucosylated haptoglobin and to investigate its clinical use. Cellular fucosylation is dependent upon fucosyltransferase activity and the level of its donor substrate, guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-fucose. GDP-mannose-4,6-dehydratase (GMDS) is a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of GDP-fucose. Mutations of GMDS found in colon cancer cells induced a malignant phenotype, leading to rapid growth in athymic mice resistant to natural killer cells. This review describes the role of fucosylated haptoglobin as a cancer biomarker, and discusses the possible biological role of fucosylation in cancer development.