Heparan Sulfate Analogues
Heparan sulfates glycosylaminoglycans bind to the heparan sulfate binding domain of matrix proteins such as collagens and fibronectin on the extracellular matrix. Heparan sulfate consist of a chain of subunits of 85kD which is negatively charged and can therefore interact with the slightly positively charged basic amino acids of growth factors and cytokines, protecting and holding them in the process. In any wound area heparan sulfates are degraded by glycanases and heparanases. This disrupts the normal tissue homeostasis because the different growth factors and cytokines cannot be held and protected by the heparan sulfate. Heparan sulfate analogue is a synthetic heparan sulfate mimetic. Due to a different coupling of subunits it is resistant to enzymatic degradation: the β2-4 carbon-carbon binding of the subunits of heperan sulfate is prone to enzymatic cleavage whereas the α1-6 carbon-carbon binding of the subunits of heparan sulfate analogues are resistant to cleavage by all known glycanases and heparanases . Heparan sulfate analogues have shown significant improvement on different kind of wounds in pre-clinical research. Animal research has shown that heparan sulfate analogues help the wounds heal but retain the normal tissue structure and prevent scarring.
Read more about this topic: Regenerative Medicine
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