Glycomic analysis of ovarian cancer: past, present, and future.

Glycosylation is undeniably the most complex posttranslational modification. Glycan structures found on proteins and lipids are diverse, often changing in different tissues from normal physiologic conditions to diseases such as cancer. Glycomics encompasses the study of glycans along with the proteins and lipids to which they are attached. In this review we will discuss the glycomics of ovarian cancer from the pre- mass spectrometry era to current discoveries and finally to future potential clinical applications of research based on glycomic discoveries.