Abstract
Herein the importance of the 2-dimensional mapping (2-DM) method in medical research area is introduced. This is the most powerful method for the analysis of glycan isomers. Glycans are synthesized by specific enzymes, and the analysis of isomers can lead to the identification of further directly related enzymes. Therefore, structural analysis using 2-DM connects readily to gene or protein expression analysis. Further, glycan purification during 2-DM analysis is also useful for sample preparation for mass spectroscopic analyses. This review describes the application of 2-DM to three research areas, namely, the α-mannosidase II alternative pathway, drug resistance in cancer cells, and the diagnosis of bladder cancer.
