Biochem/physiol Actions
Surfen is a heparan sulfate antagonist, originally developed in the late thirties as an excipient for the production of depot insulin. Heparan sulfate (HS) is structurally related to heparin but contains fewer sulfate groups per disaccharide, and it exists almost exclusively attached to protein cores of proteoglycans, which cells either display on the plasma membrane or secrete into the extracellular matrix. Surfen binds to the chains of glycosaminoglycan (GAG)/HS and prevents binding of the enzymes and proteins thus act as HS antagonist. Surfen is more potent than protamine, a clinically used heparin antagonist. |