Therapeutic applications of hyaluronan

Abstract

Hyaluronan (HA), a multifunctional, high molecular weight glycosaminoglycan, is a component of the majority of extracellular matrices. HA is synthesised in a unique manner by a family of hyaluronan synthases, degraded by hyaluronidases and exerts a biological effect by binding to families of cellular receptors, the hyaladhedrins. Receptor binding activates signal pathways in endothelial cells leading to proliferation, migration and differentiation collectively termed angiogenesis. HA and associated enzymes are implicated in the aetiology of cardiovascular disease and cancer and manipulation of HA expression offers a therapeutic target. HA microspheres have been developed as drug delivery agents to deliver HA to sites of disease and also in diagnosis. In this review we discuss some of the recent therapeutic applications of hyaluronan in tissue repair, as a drug delivery system and the synthesis, application and delivery of hyaluronan nanoparticles to target drugs to sites of disease.

Electrospun adherent–antiadherent bilayered membranes based on cross-linked hyaluronic acid for advanced tissue engineering applications

“…It is a natural linear polysaccharide composed of repeating units of β-1-4-D-glucuronic acid and β-1-3-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine [1,2]. In the last decade it has been widely proposed for many biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, its positive influence in the healing process, the angiogenic character of its degradation products and its potential as a drug release system [1,2,3,4,5].…”

Hyaluronan Endocytosis: Mechanisms of Uptake and Biological Functions

“…Thus, a wide array of different chemotherapeutic reagents can be chemically conjugated to HA. A review of the chemical derivatization of HA and the potential applications of HA to disease treatment is beyond the scope of this chapter but has been recently reviewed [63,64]. In brief, previous investigations in vitro showed that a taxol-HA bioconjugate was cytotoxic to a panel of tumor cell lines (breast, colon and ovarian) but not human fibroblasts [65].…”

Dental pulp stem cells express proteins involved in the local invasiveness of odontogenic myxoma

“…It measures 2 to 25 µm in length, and its molecular weight ranges from 105 to 107 kda. 14,15 High concentrations of HA in a tumor prompt the formation of loose, hydrated matrices with a myxoid appearance, capable of facilitating cell division and migration. 16,17 Our studies have focused on the expression of ECM proteins in human immature dental pulp stem cells (hIDPCSs).…”