Definition
Heparin is a naturally occurring sulfated polysaccharide, and as such it is composed of many sugar units or saccharides. It has a long history being first marketed as a pharmaceutical product in the USA in 1939. It is still used in the prevention and treatment of coagulation disorders. It is an anticoagulant, inhibiting the clotting of blood collected into a tube, and an antithrombotic, inhibiting the formation of clots in blood vessels in the body (Mulloy et al. 2016).
Structure and Origin
The structure of heparin is complex. It is a completely linear molecule resembling a long chain (unlike many other polysaccharides which may be branched). It is made up of alternating glucosamine and uronic acid monosaccharide units, heavily substituted with sulfates attached to the nitrogen in the glucosamine, and oxygen in the glucosamines and the uronic acids (N- and O-sulfates,...
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Mulloy, B., Coombe, D.R. (2021). Heparin and Related Drugs. In: Offermanns, S., Rosenthal, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Molecular Pharmacology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57401-7_10070
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57401-7_10070
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