A conventional synthesis of α-thioglycoside of sialic acid as a glycomonomer was accomplished. Radical copolymerization of the glycomonomer with vinyl acetate proceeded smoothly to afford a new class of glycopolymers having thiosialoside residues, in which all protection was removed by a combination of transesterification and saponification to provide a water-soluble thiosialoside cluster. The results of a preliminary study on biological ...