Pioneering Glycan-Based Vaccines and Therapeutics to Combat Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a global health crisis, responsible for millions of deaths worldwide and posing an existential threat to our healthcare systems, which are heavily reliant on antibiotics to combat bacterial infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified an urgent need for innovative measures to counteract infections caused by major AMR-associated pathogens. These include, but are not limited to, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.Glycans present on bacterial surfaces are critical virulence factors and highly promising targets for the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies against AMR. Glycoconjugate vaccines have a well-established history of success in preventing diseases like meningitis and pneumonia, underscoring their potential to play a pivotal role in the ongoing fight against AMR. Furthermore, novel glycan-derived antimicrobials, which inhibit bacterial adhesion and prevent or treat infections with a low propensity for inducing resistance, are attracting significant attention.This special issue aims to collect cutting-edge research articles and comprehensive reviews that highlight advancements in the field of glycan-based approaches delivering new vaccines and adjuvants to address AMR. We invite submissions focusing on:- Polysaccharide Chemistry: Novel analytical and synthetic methods to study bacterial polysaccharide antigens and optimize their immunogenicity for vaccine development.- Synthetic Glycans: Design, synthesis, and evaluation of synthetic glycan or glycomimetic antigens or adjuvants.- Glycoengineering Approaches: Strategies for the metabolic or genetic engineering of glycans for vaccine development or therapeutic applications.- Glycoconjugation Strategies: Development of innovative conjugation methods to link glycans to different carriers and their immunogenicity.- The submission of articles that generate and dissect structure-biological activity or immunogenicity relationships, providing deeper insights into the mechanisms of action and design principles of glycan-based solutions is also highly encouraged.Please note that manuscripts submitted to this Research Topic that do not investigate advances related to immunology are out of scope for this journal.Please also note that Dr. Roberto Adamo is a GSK employee and owner of GSK stoke options; Dr. Michael Kowarik is Employee and owner of shares and options of LimmaTech Biologics AG; and Dr. Andrew Lees is Employee of Fina Biosolutions. Topic editors: Roberto Adamo, Luigi Lay, Michael Kowarik, Peter R Andreana, Andrew Lees Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76792/pioneering-glycan-based-vaccines-and-therapeutics-to-combat-against-antimicrobial-resistance