Aberrant glycosylation in hematologic malignancies: mechanisms, immune evasion, and therapeutic targeting

Hematologic malignancies are a group of malignant diseases originating from hematopoietic stem cells or the lymphatic system, mainly including leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and so on. These diseases are characterized by their high heterogeneity, rapid disease progression and poor prognosis. Glycosylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications. In recent years, it has been found that abnormal glycosylation plays an important role in the genesis, development and treatment of hematologic malignancies. Aberrant glycosylation has been demonstrated to exert a significant influence on the progression of disease, impacting various biological processes including tumor cell signaling, the tumor microenvironment, cellular recognition, and immune evasion. This review synthesizes recent advances in how dysregulated glycosylation drives the biology of leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and other types of malignancies. Additionally, it discusses the potential value of glycosylation products that can be used as biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis.