Title:Medical Gains of Chondroitin Sulfate Upon Fucosylation
Volume: 22
Issue: 36
Author(s): Vitor H. Pomin
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Carbohydrate-based drug discovery, carbohydrate-based drug development, chondroitin sulfate, fucosylation,
fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, glycosaminoglycans.
Abstract: Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composed of alternating
N-acetyl galactosamine and glucuronic acid units within disaccharide building blocks. CS is
a key functional component in proteoglycans of cartilaginous tissues. Owing to its numerous
biological roles, CS is widely explored in the pharmaceutical market as nutraceutical ingredient
commonly utilized against arthritis, osteoarthrosis, and sometimes osteoporosis. Tissues
like shark cartilage and bovine trachea are common sources of CS. Nonetheless, a new CS type has been
introduced and investigated in the last few decades in what regards its medical potentials. It is named fucosylated
chondroitin sulfate (FucCS). This less common CS type is isolated exclusively from the body wall of sea
cucumbers. The presence of fucosyl branching units in the holothurian FucCS gives to this unique GAG,
therapeutic properties in various pathophysiological systems which are inexistent in the common CS explored
in the market. Examples of these systems are coagulation, thrombosis, hemodialysis, atherosclerosis, cellular
growth, angiogenesis, fibrosis, tumor growth, inflammation, viral and protozoan infections, hyperglycemia,
diabetes-related pathological events and tissue damage. This report aims at describing the medical benefits
gained upon fucosylation of CS. Clinical prospects of these medical benefits are also discussed herein.
