Fucoidan as a Potential Therapeutic for Major Blinding Diseases—A Hypothesis

Marine Drugs

Alexa Klettner¹ 

[1] Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, University of Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany;

关键词: fucoidan;    age-related macular degeneration;    diabetic retinopathy;    oxidative stress;    VEGF;    complement;   

DOI  :  10.3390/md14020031

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Fucoidan is a heterogeneous group of sulfated polysaccharide with a high content of l-fucose, which can be extracted from brown algae and marine invertebrates. It has many beneficial biological activities that make fucoidan an interesting candidate for therapeutic application in a variety of diseases. Age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are major causes for vision loss and blindness in the industrialized countries and increasingly in the developing world. Some of the characteristics found in certain fucoidans, such as its anti-oxidant activity, complement inhibition or interaction with the Vascular Endothelial Growth factor, which would be of high interest for a potential application of fucoidan in age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. However, the possible usage of fucoidan in ophthalmological diseases has received little attention so far. In this review, biological activities of fucoidan that could be of interest regarding these diseases will be discussed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown