This book provides a state-of-the-art compendium on the role of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans during development and in cancer. It also suggests directions for novel therapeutic and biotechnological applications in stem cell biology.
Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, as part of the extracellular matrix, are multifunctional modulators of growth factor, cytokine, integrin and morphogen signaling, which determine both self-renewal, senescence and/or differentiation of stem cells during development. Since proteoglycans modulate cell adhesion and migration they are important organizers of the extracellular matrix within the proper stem cell niche. A malfunctioning of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans contributes to the cancer stem cell phenotype, which is linked to therapeutic resistance and recurrence in malignant disease.
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the extracellular matrix and its role in development.

The series Biology of Extracellular Matrix is published in collaboration with the American Society for Matrix Biology.

Chapter 1: Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in the Stem Cell Niche: Lessons from Drosophila

Chapter 2: Proteoglycans in zebrafish development
Chapter 3: The pivotal role of versican turnover by ADAMTS proteases in mammalian reproduction and development
Chapter 4: Use of chondroitin sulfate to aid in vitro stem cell differentiation
Chapter 5: Regulatory functions of heparan sulfate in stem cell self-renewal and differentiation
Chapter 6: Proteoglycans as mediators of neurogenesis and stem cell differentiation
Chapter 7: Syndecan-3: a signaling conductor in the musculoskeletal system
Chapter 8: Proteoglycans of the neural stem cell niche
Chapter 9: Heparan sulfate in normal and cancer stem cells of the brain
Chapter 10: Hyaluronic acid-CD44 interaction in the physio- and pathological stem cell niche
Chapter 11: Proteoglycans in glioma stem cells
Chapter 12: Role of Syndecan-1 in Cancer Stem cells.