The glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) heparan sulfate, dermatan sulfate and heparin are important anticoagulants that inhibit clot formation. Unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin and heparin-derived drugs are often the main treatments used clinically to handle coagulatory disorders. Such agents are neutralised endogenously by a wide range of proteins to control coagulation. In a recent article by Amelie Sobczak, Samantha Pitt and Alan Stewart, a review of GAG neutralisation, the proteins involved and the molecular processes that contribute to the regulation of anticoagulant GAG activity is presented. The review will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Stewart and Pitt Research Groups