Medical research

Liquid gel in COVID patients' lungs makes way for new treatment

In some patients who died with severe COVID-19 and respiratory failure, a jelly was formed in the lungs. Researchers have now established what the active agent in the jelly is and thanks to that, this new discovery can now ...

Cardiology

Study probes heart of synthetic heart valves

The quest for a synthetic heart valve that faithfully mimics the original is a step closer to its goal with the Rice University find that a natural polymer called hyaluronan, one of the chief components of skin and connective ...

Neuroscience

Researchers reveal new cause of epilepsy

A team of researchers from SUNY Downstate Medical Center (SUNY Downstate) and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) has found that deficiencies in hyaluronan, also known as hyaluronic acid or HA, can ...

Cardiology

Researchers creating next generation prosthetic heart valves

Researchers in the School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University are working on developing replacement heart valves that will be superior to current mechanical ...

Genetics

The naked mole-rat's secret to staying cancer free

A team of researchers from the University of Rochester (NY) and the University of Haifa discovered the naked mole rat's unique mechanism to staying cancer free- a super sugar called high-molecular-mass Hyaluronan (HMM-HA). ...

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Hyaluronan

Hyaluronan (also called hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate) is an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. It is unique among glycosaminoglycans in that it is nonsulfated, forms in the plasma membrane instead of the Golgi, and can be very large, with its molecular weight often reaching the millions. One of the chief components of the extracellular matrix, hyaluronan contributes significantly to cell proliferation and migration, and may also be involved in the progression of some malignant tumors.

The average 70 kg (154 lbs) person has roughly 15 grams of hyaluronan in the body, one-third of which is turned over (degraded and synthesized) every day. Hyaluronic acid is also a component of the group A streptococcal extracellular capsule, and is believed to play a role in virulence.

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