Premium
Drug‐Mediated Regulation of Glycosaminoglycan Biosynthesis
Author(s) -
Ghiselli Giancarlo
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
medicinal research reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.868
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1098-1128
pISSN - 0198-6325
DOI - 10.1002/med.21429
Subject(s) - glycosaminoglycan , biosynthesis , druggability , function (biology) , biochemistry , biology , metabolism , extracellular matrix , drug development , enzyme , drug , microbiology and biotechnology , pharmacology , gene
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a heterogeneous family of unbranched polysaccharides that exist in either a free state or attached to proteins and are found on the cell surface as well as in the extracellular matrix. GAGs play essential roles in cellular and tissue homeostasis, and their metabolism is altered in response to several pathological conditions. Despite strong experimental evidence supporting the function of GAGs in various diseases, little is known about the regulation of GAG biosynthesis via pharmacological intervention. In recent studies, the effects of several experimental drugs on GAG biosynthesis in animal models of disease were examined and key enzymes involved in GAG biosynthesis were found to be druggable. In addition to experimental small‐molecule drugs that alter GAG biosynthesis, a number of clinically approved drugs modulate GAG metabolism, contributing to the therapeutic benefits associated with the use of these drugs. In this review article, we propose a classification scheme for drugs affecting GAG biosynthesis. Our goal is to present a rational approach to investigate the pharmacological regulation of these important biological molecules.