Glycosaminoglycans and Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics in Cancer and Inflammation

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 8; p. 1963
• Main Author: Morla, Shravan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22-04-2019; MDPI
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; AKT protein; Angiogenesis; anti-cancer; anti-inflammation; Anticoagulants; Apoptosis; Breast cancer; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell growth; Cell surface; Chemokines; Chemoresistance; Chondroitin sulfate; Colon; Cytokines; dermatan sulfate; Drug development; Enzymes; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factor receptors; Fibroblasts; Glioma; Glycosaminoglycans; Growth factors; Heparan sulfate; heparin; hyaluronan; Inflammation; keratan sulfate; Kinases; Liver cancer; Melanoma; Metastasis; mimetics; Oligosaccharides; Ovarian cancer; Pharmaceutical industry; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Proteoglycans; Review; Stat3 protein; Tumors; glycosaminoglycans; heparin; dermatan sulfate; heparan sulfate; chondroitin sulfate; hyaluronan; keratan sulfate; anti-inflammation; anti-cancer; mimetics
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081963

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a class of biomolecules expressed virtually on all mammalian cells and usually covalently attached to proteins, forming proteoglycans. They are present not only on the cell surface, but also in the intracellular milieu and extracellular matrix. GAGs interact with multiple ligands, both soluble and insoluble, and modulate an important role in various physiological and pathological processes including cancer, bacterial and viral infections, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, and many more. Considering their involvement in multiple diseases, their use in the development of drugs has been of significant interest in both academia and industry. Many GAG-based drugs are being developed with encouraging results in animal models and clinical trials, showcasing their potential for development as therapeutics. In this review, the role GAGs play in both the development and inhibition of cancer and inflammation is presented. Further, advancements in the development of GAGs and their mimetics as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents are discussed.