Insight into the role of chondroitin sulfate E in angiogenesis

Chondroitin sulfate E (CS-E) is a glycosaminoglycan containing type-E disaccharide units (sulfated at C-4 and C-6 of N-acetylgalactosamine). CS-E is covalently linked to a core protein to form chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (PGs) that are secreted or associated with the plasma membrane of several types of cells. CS-E-containing PGs selectively interact with growth factors and chemokines and control various cellular and/or tissue processes. Angiogenesis is a process that is highly regulated in physiological conditions but deregulated in pathologies, leading to excess or deficient blood vessel formation. Angiogenesis regulation is orchestrated by numerous growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor A, fibroblast growth factors and pleiotrophin, whose functions can be affected by CS-containing PGs. In the present review, we focus on the emerging area of CS-mediated angiogenesis and particularly on the critical assessment of data related to a potential role of CS-E in controlling endothelial cell functions, focusing on angiogenesis regulation and vascular homeostasis in health and disease.