Abstract
Bronchial asthma is a widespread disease that is becoming increasingly costly to the medical and financial systems of many countries with each passing year. The rising prevalence of bronchial asthma necessitates a search for the most efficient diagnostic and treatment strategies for various asthma phenotypes, including some that are relatively uncommon.
From this point of view, glycomics appears to be one of the most interesting and perspective branches of medicine. This research area studies various carbohydrate complexes and their roles in the development of various diseases.
Researchers are interested in the study of the receptors for advanced glycation end products and their soluble variants with regard to bronchial asthma. Furthermore, sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectins (Siglecs) may play a vital role in the principal novel strategies of the treatment. By affecting Siglecs, a decrease in the proinflammatory activity of immunocompetent cells results, and the bronchial walls are protected. Finally, N- and O-glycans remain almost unresearched. These molecules, on the other hand, have the potential to play a significant role not only in the diagnosis and confirmation of asthma but also in the allergenicity of various molecules. Scientists are interested in N-glycans, not only in the diagnostic context but also in their role as a molecule that can reduce allergenicity, for example, egg white vaccines.
Glycomics and glycoproteomics are cutting-edge disciplines of medical science that are opening up new perspectives in the management of patients with diseases of various organs and systems, including diseases of the respiratory tract in general and bronchial asthma in particular. Despite the fast-paced nature of the development of glycoscience, theories about the role of the molecules investigated in the pathophysiology of respiratory disorders are only beginning to emerge.