Glycoscience: New Field or Fluke?

There seems to be a new kid on the block and his name is glycoscience. If you look on the internet you will see a lot of debate about glycoscience. Is it bunk and hype or is it truly a new breakthrough of which the medical community and the public should take notice?

The Study of Glycoscience

Glycoscience is a study of complex carbohydrates that can be found on protein surfaces and lipids. Glycoscience is considered a neglected branch of molecular biology. Systems biology, proteomics and genomics are hot subjects of research for biomedicals. These sciences have attracted funding and researchers to legitimatize them. It is thought that at present glycoscience holds a minor role.

In the past, the study of glycoscience was of little interest in relation to understanding human biology. Today, more interest is being focused on sugars and their relationship to communication between cells and bodily organs.

Interest in Glycoscience is Increasing

The interest in glycoscience is growing as those in the academic world as well as in the industrial sector are realizing the importance glycoscience has with many of the body's biological processes. As more research is being done with glycoscience, the realization of the importance of saccharides in cell communication and in the response of the immune system is dawning; glycoscience is coming out of its isolation and stepping into the mainstream.

The Promise of the Study of Glycoscience

Researchers and scientists are holding out the hope that with the further study of glycoscience that the manipulation of cell to cell communication may be possible in learning how a disease develops. This could pave the way to greater accuracy in targeting specific drugs for those diseases.

Discovery of Glycoscience

A British scientist, is given the distinction of discovering carbohydrates are markers for cells that characterize the blood group system of ABH. This discovery was made nearly sixty years ago. It was through this work that the importance of complex sugars and their relationship to cell recognition and immune reactions was recognized.

This work inspired others to the field of glycoscience in both commercial and medical sectors, though at present it is still not considered to be part of mainstream scientific research.

Glycoscience Doesn't Attract Funding

It is thought that because glycoscience is held in such low esteem in the medical research community that funding for research is scarce. When you consider the amount of funding that was given to the human genome project for the sequencing of DNA, glycoscience falls far behind in monetary interest. It is safe to say that with more funding researchers can fully explore the possibilities of glycoscience and its relationship to the development and prevention of disease.

It would be a shame if glycoscience research was not pursued more vigorously. If indeed glycoscience holds a key that will enable the average person to live a healthier life, wouldn't people champion research in this field? Glycoscience should be allowed the same experimentation and testing as other branches of biology. Isn't glycoscience worth a deeper look if it can help people to live a longer, healthier life?