title: Heparan sulfate in angiogenesis: a target for therapy.
abstract: Heparan sulfate (HS), a long linear polysaccharide of alternating disaccharide residues, interacts with a wide variety of proteins, including many angiogenic factors. The involvement of HS in signaling of pro-angiogenic factors (e.g. vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2), as well as interaction with anti-angiogenic factors (e.g. endostatin), warrants its role as an important modifier of (tumor) angiogenesis. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of HS in angiogenic growth factor signaling, and discusses therapeutic strategies to target HS and modulate angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry (280), Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Xander M R
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: van Wijk
authors.forename: Toin H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: van Kuppevelt
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D006497:Heparan Sulfate