Advances in Glyco-Drug Development and Biomaterials

Introduction:

Glyco-drugs and glyco-biomaterials are transforming modern medicine through the decoding of nature’s glyco-code. Advances in AI-assisted glycan design, glyco-engineering, and smart biomaterials, including stimuli-responsive glyco-hydrogels, transdermal microneedles, and 3D-printed glycan-based scaffolds, are driving innovation across therapeutics, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine. Progress in glyco-drugs encompasses the rational design and synthesis of functional glycans, glycomimetics, and glycoconjugates that target specific biological pathways for infectious, oncological, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases.

As these fields converge, glycoscience is evolving from a descriptive discipline into a translational engineering platform capable of addressing previously intractable medical challenges.

This special issue on "Advances in Glyco-Drug Development and Biomaterials" will feature up to 12 peer-reviewed contributions in the form of original research, reviews, perspectives, and highlights. The scope encompasses research and bench-to-bedside applications that highlight the potential of both glyco-drugs and glyco-biomaterials.

Areas of interest include innovative therapeutic development, targeted drug delivery, health monitoring technologies, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Contributions are welcome from researchers in the fields of glycoscience, drug discovery, biomaterials, and related therapeutic fields.

We invite submissions in the following areas:

1. Glyco-Drug development

• Chemoenzymatic and synthetic strategies for glyco-drug development
• Design and synthesis of novel glycomimetics, glycopeptides, and glycoconjugates
• Glycoconjugate vaccines and carbohydrate-based immunotherapies
• Glycan–lectin and glycan–microbiota interactions for targeted therapy
• Carbohydrate microarrays, glycan libraries, and AI-assisted drug discovery platforms
• Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering for programmable glycan biosynthesis
• Therapeutic applications in anti-infective, antitumor, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases

2. Glyco-Biomaterials

• Chemical modification, characterization and application of carbohydrate polymer
• Carbohydrate-based biomaterials for drug delivery (e.g., hyaluronic acid, chitosan carriers)
• Composite smart biomaterials for tissue engineering and regeneration medicine
• Smart biomaterials and AI for real-time disease monitoring
• Advanced carbohydrate-nanomaterial hybrid system

Submission Guideline:

Please read the [Guide for Authors] before submitting. All articles should be [submitted online] on or before October 31, 2025

Guest Editors:

Glycoscience & Therapy covers the study and exploitation of glycans structure, sequencing, function, synthesis, metabolism, evolution, glycomics in physiological and pathological process and the glycan-based new drug discovery associated natural glycans preparation, structure characterization, glycan and derivative synthesis, bioactivity, structure and activity relationship, target discovery, pharmacodynamic evaluation, action mechanism, polysaccharide absorption, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutical preparation, etc.

For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact leo.jiang@keaipublishing.com