Title:Emerging Therapeutic Role of Chondroitinase (ChABC) in Neurological
Disorders and Cancer
Volume: 17
Issue: 3
Author(s): Akshara Kumar, Aishi Biswas, Sree Lalitha Bojja, Kiran Kumar Kolathur*Subrahmanyam M. Volety
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of
Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
Keywords:
Proteoglycans, chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans, perineuronal nets, neurodegenerative, cancer, chondroitinase ABC (ChABC).
Abstract: Proteoglycans are essential biomacromolecules that participate in matrix structure and organization,
cell proliferation and migration, and cell surface signal transduction. However, their roles
in physiology, particularly in CNS, remain incompletely deciphered. Numerous studies highlight the
elevated levels of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in various diseases, like cancers, and
neurological disorders, like spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain damage, neurodegenerative diseases,
and are mainly implicated to hinder tissue repair. In such a context, chondroitinase ABC
(ChABC), a therapeutic enzyme, has shown immense hope to treat these diseases in several preclinical
studies, primarily attributed to the digestion of the side chains of the proteoglycan chondroitin sulphate
(CS) molecule. Despite extensive research, the progress in evolution of the concept of therapeutic
targeting of proteoglycans is still in its infancy. This review thus provides fresh insights into the
emerging therapeutic applications of ChABC in various diseases apart from SCI and the underlying
mechanisms.