Role, binding properties, and potential therapeutical use of glycosaminoglycans and mimetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection. In memory of Dr. Robert Linhardt (1953-2025).

Publication date: Aug 15, 2025

Dr. Robert Linhardt was a prolific scientist who paved the way for understanding the key aspects of structure, function, synthesis, mechanisms of action, and potential therapeutic use of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). His contribution to the field of Glycobiology for over 40 years led to an incredible legacy in terms of mentorship, publication, and research accomplishment. Sorrowfully, he succumbed to a rare case of spinal cancer aggravated by a SARS-CoV-2 infection at the beginning of 2025. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Linhardt published approximately 20 groundbreaking scientific articles unraveling the role, mechanism of action, virus binding properties, and potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 use of GAGs. In honor of the extraordinary contribution of Dr. Robert Linhardt in the fields of GAGs and SARS-CoV2, we review herein the main scientific achievements of his set of published works on the topic, after presenting a biography of this renowned glycoscientist.

Concepts Keywords
40years Antiviral Agents
Glycosaminoglycans Antiviral Agents
Pandemic COVID-19
Scientific COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Glycosaminoglycans
Glycosaminoglycans
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease IDO role
disease MESH SARS-CoV-2 infection
pathway REACTOME SARS-CoV-2 Infection
disease MESH cancer
disease IDO history

Original Article

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