text: Globo H's biosynthetic pathway is involved in the synthesis pathways of other globo-series glycosphingolipid antigens that are also specific to cancer cells, including stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA3) and stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA4). The biosynthetic pathway of these antigens includes the enzyme β 1,3-galactosyltransferase V (β3GalT5). β3GalT5 catalyzes the galactosylation of globoside-4 (Gb4) to SSEA3. SSEA3 can then be converted to SSEA4 by sialyltransferase adding a sialic acid group to its end, or it can be converted to Globo H by fucosyltransferase adding a fucose ring to its end. Playing a part in the formation of three different cancer-specific antigens, β3GalT5 is of particular interest in its relevance to cancer treatment, and it has been shown to be critical for cancer cell survival.