The realm of carbohydrate vaccines has expanded far beyond the capsular polysaccharides of bacterial pathogens to include a diverse collection of targets representing nearly every biological kingdom. Recent technological advances in glycobiology and glycochemistry are paving the way for a new era in carbohydrate vaccine design enabling greater efficiency in the identification, synthesis and evaluation of unique glycan epitopes found on a plethora of pathogens and malignant cells. This article reviews the progress being made in addressing challenges posed by targeting the surface carbohydrates of bacteria, protozoa, helminths, viruses, fungi and cancer for vaccine purposes.
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