BioMed Research International

Proteoglycans/Glycosaminoglycans: From Basic Research to Clinical Practice


Publishing date
12 Dec 2014
Status
Published
Submission deadline
25 Jul 2014

1Department of Histology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

21st Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary

3Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, P.O. Box 595, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden

4Department of Histology Embryology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece


Proteoglycans/Glycosaminoglycans: From Basic Research to Clinical Practice

Description

Extracellular matrices (ECM) represent a complex network of proteins and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) constituting the cell microenvironment. Most important among the matrix proteins are the collagens, elastin, laminins, fibronectin as well as GAG decorated proteoglycans (PGs). PGs are composed of independent structural domains, the sequences and arrangements of which are highly conserved and discretely glycosylated, thus determining a varying degree of matrices organization. On the other hand, both bound GAG chains and free GAGs such as hyaluronan (HA) bestow voluminosity to the ECM, due to the negative charges they carry and to their subsequent water binding ability. Therefore, these molecules participate in maintaining the bulk, shape, and strength of tissues in vivo. However, PGs/GAGs provide much more than just mechanical and structural support, they are critically important for cell growth, survival, and differentiation as well as key to various disease processes including inflammation, atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Moreover, GAG/PG effects are clearly dependent on the specific correlation among their abundance, distribution, and disease type/stage. The evidence that PGs/GAGs have a key role in various pathological conditions have led to the conclusion that understanding the changes in PG/GAG expression and fine structure that occur in disease may lead to opportunities to develop innovative and selective therapies. We invite authors to submit original research and review articles that seek to designate discrete roles for GAGs/PGs as diagnostic markers and/or therapy targets for specific disease types and grades. We are interested in articles that explore the utilization of pluripotent characteristics of PGs/GAGs in the ongoing battle against disease. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Mechanisms of GAG/PG action and their potential application
  • Development of novel disease markers
  • Roles of PGs/GAGs in wound healing-therapeutical aspects
  • Development of immunotherapeutic strategies involving GAGs/PGs
  • Roles of PGs/GAGs in tissue engineering
  • Potential application of PGs/GAGs in axon regeneration
  • Roles of PGs/GAGs in cartilage regeneration
  • Safe and effective systems for modulating the expression and subsequent activity of GAGs/PGs in disease
  • Synthesis of reliable carriers specifically designed to deliver discrete GAGs/PGs to target disease tissues
  • Utilization of GAGs/PGs as carriers for targeted therapy delivery

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/bmri/pharmacology/pgfb/ according to the following timetable:


Articles

  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 295254
  • - Editorial

Proteoglycans/Glycosaminoglycans: From Basic Research to Clinical Practice

George Tzanakakis | Ilona Kovalszky | ... | Dragana Nikitovic
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 309718
  • - Review Article

Cysteine Cathepsin Activity Regulation by Glycosaminoglycans

Marko Novinec | Brigita Lenarčič | Boris Turk
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 845323
  • - Review Article

Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans in the Nervous System: Inhibitors to Repair

Justin R. Siebert | Amanda Conta Steencken | Donna J. Osterhout
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 727459
  • - Research Article

Hyaluronan-Phosphatidylethanolamine Polymers Form Pericellular Coats on Keratinocytes and Promote Basal Keratinocyte Proliferation

Caitlin J. Symonette | Aman Kaur Mann | ... | Eva A. Turley
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 765794
  • - Research Article

Heparin and Liver Heparan Sulfate Can Rescue Hepatoma Cells from Topotecan Action

József Dudás | József Bocsi | ... | Ilona Kovalszky
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 103923
  • - Review Article

Hyaluronan and RHAMM in Wound Repair and the “Cancerization” of Stromal Tissues

Cornelia Tolg | James B. McCarthy | ... | Eva A. Turley
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 817613
  • - Research Article

Accumulation of Extracellular Hyaluronan by Hyaluronan Synthase 3 Promotes Tumor Growth and Modulates the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment

Anne Kultti | Chunmei Zhao | ... | Zhongdong Huang
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 419853
  • - Research Article

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Soluble Syndecan-1 in Pleural Malignancies

Filip Mundt | Ghazal Heidari-Hamedani | ... | Katalin Dobra
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 516028
  • - Review Article

Towards Understanding the Roles of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Alzheimer’s Disease

Gan-lin Zhang | Xiao Zhang | ... | Jin-Ping Li
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2014
  • - Article ID 124321
  • - Review Article

The Motile Breast Cancer Phenotype Roles of Proteoglycans/Glycosaminoglycans

Dragana Nikitovic | Katerina Kouvidi | ... | George N. Tzanakakis
BioMed Research International
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