Heparin Mimetics and Their Impact on Extracellular Matrix Protein Assemblies

Heparan sulfate is a crucial extracellular matrix component that organizes structural features and functional protein processes. This occurs through the formation of protein-heparan sulfate assemblies around cell surfaces, which allow for the deliberate local and temporal control of cellular signaling. As such, heparin-mimicking drugs can directly affect these processes by competing with naturally occurring heparan sulfate and heparin chains that then disturb protein assemblies and decrease regulatory capacities. The high number of heparan-sulfate-binding proteins that are present in the extracellular matrix can cause obscure pathological effects that should be considered and examined in more detail, especially when developing novel mimetics for clinical use. The objective of this article is to investigate recent studies that present heparan-sulfate-mediated protein assemblies and the impact of heparin mimetics on the assembly and function of these protein complexes.

Automated summary

Heparan sulfate is an important component in the extracellular matrix that regulates structural and functional protein processes. Drugs that mimic heparin can disrupt protein assemblies and reduce regulatory capacities by competing with naturally occurring heparan sulfate and heparin chains. The presence of numerous heparan-sulfate-binding proteins in the extracellular matrix can have unknown pathological effects, which should be further investigated when developing clinical mimetics. This article aims to explore recent studies on heparan-sulfate-mediated protein assemblies and the effects of heparin mimetics on these complexes.