Division of Cancer Prevention

The Alliance of Glycobiologists for Detection of Cancer, a consortium of eight Tumor Glycomics Laboratories, is working to reveal cancer-related dynamics of complex carbohydrates to develop new, validated clinical biomarkers for early detection.

Mission

The mission of the Alliance is to study structure and function of glycans in relation to cancer development towards developing clinically useful biomarkers for the early detection of cancer by using a variety of approaches and technologies. This charge also requires extensive collaborations across institutions with different skills and facilities to accelerate glycan-based biomarkers to the forefront of NCI's efforts to detect and diagnose cancer at early stages.

The unique needs of the laboratories for technologies embracing carbohydrate chemistry are further supported by programs of:

• The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) including: the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG), the Glycomics and Glycotechnology Resource Centers, and several special initiatives in glycochemistry and glycobiology;
• The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), who administer the Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences; and
• The Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) of NCI with whom the Alliance will work closely with to validate promising glycans for clinical use.

A Steering Committee (SC) representing all eight Tumor Glycomics Laboratories, representatives from the partnering programs, and program staff from NCI, NIGMS and NHLBI integrates the activities of the Alliance.

Read more About the Alliance.