Disialoganglioside GD2, (NH4+ salt)

Gangliosides1 are acidic glycosphingolipids that form lipid rafts in the outer leaflet of the cell plasma membrane, especially in neuronal cells in the central nervous system.2 They participate in cellular proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, signal transduction, cell-to-cell interactions, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. The accumulation of gangliosides has been linked to several diseases including Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease and cancer. Disialoganglioside GD2 is normally found mostly in the central nervous system and in low amounts in peripheral nerves and skin melanocytes. However in various cancers aberrant glycosilation produces relatively high amounts of GD2 on tumor cell surfaces and has been shown to enhance tumor proliferation and metastasis. The relatively tumor specific expression of GD2 makes it a good candidate for immunotherapy using anti-GD2 antibodies and this approach has been actively pursued for the past several decades.3,4