Anti-Kaposi's sarcoma and antiangiogenic activities of sulfated dextrins

Delivery of the sulfated polysaccharide dextrin 2-sulfate by the intraperitoneal route to the lymphatic circulation resulted in a clinically significant improvement in Kaposi's sarcoma in three patients. Our in vitro studies show that although sulfated dextrins do not interfere with the growth of isolated human umbilical vein endothelial cells, they do inhibit the morphological differentiation of endothelial cells into tubes as well as reduce new vessel formation in a placental angiogenesis assay. The antiangiogenic effect of dextrin 6-sulfate is greater than that of dextrin 2-sulfate and is independent of their anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 activities.