Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Innovative glycan-specific reagents to accelerate the detection of disease biomarkers

Award Number: R44GM159548
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/18/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/17/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Innovative glycan-specific reagents to accelerate the detection of disease biomarkers - PROJECT SUMMARY Glycans have several distinct properties that make them excellent targets for disease biomarkers. Firstly, because the structures of cell surface glycans are determined by a complex enzymatic pathway within the cell, any alteration to this homeostasis, such as from disease, may result in aberrant protein glycosylation. Thus, specific glycan structures that are not present, or are in low amounts, in normal states proliferate in disease states, such as cancer. Secondly, their location on cell surfaces makes them readily accessible to detection reagents. Thirdly, any change in cellular glycosylation machinery may impact a large number of glycoproteins, offering many potential glycan-related biomarkers per diseased cell. To effectively employ and discover glycan disease markers a wider range of highly-specific reagents are urgently needed. The monosaccharide mannose has been identified in many disease markers, but is difficult to detect specifically within the context of other glycans with existing reagents. Using structurally-guided mutagenesis, we will convert an α-mannosidase enzyme into a high affinity reagent for the detection of high mannose glycans that are known biomarkers for a number of cancers. Such engineered lectin-like reagents derived from enzymes are called “Lectenz®”, and have several advantages over lectins and antibodies. The principal advantages of an engineered Lectenz® over an antibody are that the Lectenz® is specific to the carbohydrate sequence, but, in contrast to antibodies, will recognize that sequence in a broad range of glycans. Further, in contrast to carbohydrate reagents based on plant lectins, engineered Lectenz® are derived from enzymes that have exquisite substrate specificities and low toxicities. Additional advantages of Lectenz® include precise definition of specificity, tunable binding properties, and ease of recombinant expression, enabling their potential use in affinity purification, western blotting, in situ histological staining, and in vivo imaging. We will generate mannose-binding Lectenz® that can bind high mannose glycans with high specificity. Glycosylation detection is essential in fully characterizing and exploiting glycans as markers of specific disease states, and yet current reagents have broad specificity.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $313,827 )
2025	2025	LECTENZ BIO, INC.	111 RIVERBEND RD	ATHENS	GA	30602	CLARKE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	7/18/2025	NEW	$313,827
														Subtotal = $313,827

Grand Total All Awards = $313,827

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Innovative glycan-specific reagents to accelerate the detection of disease biomarkers

Award Number: R44GM159548

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/18/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/17/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer