中国生物工程杂志

The expression of sLea/x which correlates with conventional histopathologic parameters serves as a useful indicator for the prognosis of metastatic disease. The bindings between sLea/x and their common ligand E-selectin initiate hematogenous metastasis of cancer. Certain bioactive conformation is crucial for the interaction between sLea/x and their ligands. Thus, a new class of compounds that mimic the structures of sLea/x can potently inhibit not only their functional bindings to selectins, but also the metastasis of cancer. This review is mainly on the relationship between sLea/x and hematogenous metastasis of cancer and the design of drugs that mimic the structures of sLea/x.