Development and medical application of unsaturated carbaglycosylamine glycosidase inhibitors.

This article reviews synthesis and structures of carbaglycosylamines, a group of carbocyclic sugar analogues. Some unsaturated derivatives are known to be potent glycosidase inhibitors. Among them, N-octyl-4-epi-beta-valienamine as a lysosomal beta-galactosidase inhibitor is currently undergoing a new molecular therapeutic trial (chemical chaperone therapy) for control of the human beta-galactosidase deficiency disorder, G(M1)-gangliosidosis.