Chemical synthesis of glycosaminoglycan-mimetic polymers

Abstract

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are mammalian cell-secreted linear polysaccharides that participate in many critical physiological processes via their interactions with a variety of proteins. Unfortunately natural GAGs have disadvantages that hinder their use in cell-based therapy and tissue engineering. GAG-mimetic polymers represent alternatives to natural GAGs, and studies on the preparation of these polymers have appeared in recent years. This review describes several general chemical approaches for the preparation of GAG-mimetic polymers based on different backbones and sidechains, and highlights the importance of these synthetic GAG-mimetic polymers in controlling key biofunctions. The prospects for further advances in the development of synthetic GAG-mimetic polymers are also discussed.