Heparanase in health and disease: The neglected housekeeper of the cell?

The membrane of most cells in the body is surrounded by a dynamically regulated, highly-hydrated fibrous meshwork of carbohydrates, known as pericellular matrix or glycocalyx. Its main constituents are several glycoconjugates (see nomenclature and definitions in Box 1), including glycolipids, the polysaccharide heparan sulfate (HS) linked to proteoglycan core proteins (e.g. glypican, syndecan, betaglycan), the polysaccharide hyaluronan and proteins bound to these polysaccharides.

Source: Atherosclerosis - January 25, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Jun Shu, Gaetano Santulli Tags: Editorial Source Type: research