Open AccessEngineered heparins as new anticoagulant drugs
Author(s) -
Vaidyanathan Deepika,
Williams Asher,
Dordick Jonathan S.,
Koffas Mattheos A.G.,
Linhardt Robert J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
bioengineering and translational medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2380-6761
DOI - 10.1002/btm2.10042
Subject(s) - heparin , anticoagulant , anticoagulant drug , chemistry , glycosaminoglycan , pharmacology , biochemistry , medicine , surgery
Heparin is an anionic polysaccharide that is widely used as a clinical anticoagulant. This glycosaminoglycan is prepared from animal tissues in metric ton quantities. Animal‐sourced heparin is also widely used in the preparation of low molecular weight heparins that are gaining in popularity as a result of their improved pharmacological properties. The recent contamination of pharmaceutical heparin together with concerns about increasing demand for this life saving drug and the fragility of the heparin supply chain has led the scientific community to consider other potential sources for heparin. This review examines progress toward the preparation of engineered heparins through chemical synthesis, chemoenzymatic synthesis, and metabolic engineering.