Chemical approach for target-selective degradation of oligosaccharides using photoactivatable organic molecules

Molecular design, chemical synthesis, and biological evaluation of several organic molecules, which can target-selectively photodegrade oligosaccharides by irradiation with a specific wavelength of light under mild conditions without any additives, are introduced. These novel class of photochemical agents promise bright prospects for finding not only molecular-targeted bioprobes for understanding of the structure-activity relationships of oligosaccharides but also novel therapeutic drugs targeting biologically important oligosaccharides.