Frontiers in Pharmacology (Nov 2021)

Exploring Carbohydrates for Therapeutics: A Review on Future Directions

  • Jie Wang,
  • Jie Wang,
  • Yukun Zhang,
  • Yukun Zhang,
  • Qi Lu,
  • Qi Lu,
  • Dongming Xing,
  • Dongming Xing,
  • Dongming Xing,
  • Renshuai Zhang,
  • Renshuai Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.756724
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Carbohydrates are important components of foods and essential biomolecules performing various biological functions in living systems. A variety of biological activities besides providing fuel have been explored and reported for carbohydrates. Some carbohydrates have been approved for the treatment of various diseases; however, carbohydrate-containing drugs represent only a small portion of all of the drugs on the market. This review summarizes several potential development directions of carbohydrate-containing therapeutics, with the hope of promoting the application of carbohydrates in drug development.

Keywords