Glycosaminoglycans are linear polysaccharides consisting of d-glucosamine, galactose or D-glucuronic acid or L-hyduronic acid. They are a class of biomolecules found on the cell surface, in the extracellular matrix, and in the intracellular environment.

They modulate certain physiological processes such as viral and bacterial infections, Alzheimer's disease and others and are involved in a large number of biological functions.

They are divided into four classes

• chondroitin sulphate/dermatan sulphate
• heparin/heparan sulphate
• hyaluronan 
• keratan sulphate

Medical

The results of this study established the anti-tumour activities of glycosaminoglycans and provide the basis for the future development of neoglycans as new therapeutic agents (1).

Heparin has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, but its use has not been authorised because it can cause bleeding. However, only 2-O,3-O-desulphated heparin appears to have no anticoagulant effects (2).

Heparin also plays an antimetastatic role in cancer treatment, especially in the treatment of cancer-associated thromboembolism (3). Here too, however, its anticoagulant properties are contraindicated (4). To overcome this drawback, molecules and substrates have been developed, the studies of which are still in progress, such as M402 or necuparanib, heparinase III, and fucosylated chondroitin sulphate, the latter derived from sea cucumber.

For more information:

    Glycosaminoglycans  studies

Alfa-Heparin chemical structure

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Pumphrey CY, Theus AM, Li S, Parrish RS, Sanderson RD. Neoglycans, carbodiimide-modified glycosaminoglycans: a new class of anticancer agents that inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. Cancer Res. 2002 Jul 1;62(13):3722-8.

(2) Griffin KL, Fischer BM, Kummarapurugu AB, Zheng S, Kennedy TP, Rao NV, Foster WM, Voynow JA. 2-O, 3-O-desulfated heparin inhibits neutrophil elastase-induced HMGB-1 secretion and airway inflammation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2014 Apr;50(4):684-9. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2013-0338RC.

(3) Borsig L. Heparin as an inhibitor of cancer progression. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2010;93:335-49. doi: 10.1016/S1877-1173(10)93014-7. 

(4) Bochenek J, Püsküllüoğlu M, Krzemieniecki K. The antineoplastic effect of low-molecular-weight heparins - a literature review. Contemp Oncol (Pozn). 2013;17(1):6-13. doi: 10.5114/wo.2013.33766.