Abstract
Hyaluronan (HA) is best known as an abundantly present extracellular matrix component found throughout the body of all vertebrates, including humans. Recent evidence, however, has demonstrated benefits of providing HA exogenously as a therapeutic modality for several medical conditions. Here we discuss the effects of providing HA treatment to increase innate host defense of the intestine, elucidate the size specific effects of HA, and discuss the role of various HA receptors as potential mediators of the HA effects in the intestine. This review especially focuses on HA interaction with the epithelium because it is the primary cellular barrier of the intestine and these cells play a critical balancing role between allowing water and nutrient absorption while excluding microbes and harmful dietary metabolites that are constantly in that organ's environment.
Highlights
Hyaluronan (HA) is best known as an abundantly present extracellular matrix component found throughout the body of all vertebrates, including humans
This review especially focuses on HA interaction with the epithelium because it is the primary cellular barrier of the intestine and these cells play a critical balancing role between allowing water and nutrient absorption while excluding microbes and harmful dietary metabolites that are constantly in that organ’s environment
High molecular weight HA and fragments of HA can bind to several HA binding receptors including the CD44 receptor, the receptor for HA-mediated motility (RHAMM), HA receptor for endocytosis (HARE), lymphatic vessel endothelial HA receptor (LYVE1), layilin, and toll-like receptors (TLRs-2 and 4) [2] Some investigators have proposed that the signal transduction activated by HA is dependent on the cell-type dependent available HA receptors, cooperatively and/or clustering of HA receptors [3]
Summary
Hannover Medical School, Germany Suryasarathi Dasgupta, Takeda, United States. Specialty section: This article was submitted to Molecular Innate Immunity, a section of the journal
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
