Aspects of the biology of hyaluronan, a largely neglected but extremely versatile molecule

HA takes part in a surprisingly large number of biological processes such as embryogenesis, angiogenesis, cell motility, wound healing and cell adhesion. While substantial progress in HA research has indeed been made over the last years, many important questions have not yet been answered. One of the most pertinent questions awaiting an answer is the quest for functional differences of HA synthesized by the three HAS genes. Of similar importance would be investigations into intracellular signaling pathways involved in the activation of this gene family, a field in which to date very little is known. A better understanding of functional differences between the HAS encoding genes not only holds the promise for a better understanding of a series of biological processes but also the opportunity for selective intervention in a number of maladies characterized by abnormalities of HA levels.