100 years of Heparin: The success story of a carbohydrate


ITMO BMSV Aviesan annual meeting celebrating the 100 years of Heparin

The story of Heparin started 100 years ago, when a young medical student isolated from hepatic extracts, an unknown compound with potent anticoagulant activity. However, 20 years of additional work  - and some controversies - were necessary to define the nature of this molecule, termed Heparin, as a polysaccharide.


100 years later, the discovery of Heparin still constitutes one of the greatest advance in Glycobiology and an unprecedented medical and pharmaceutical success. Efforts of many leading research teams combining biological, biochemical, structural and analytical approaches have led to the identification of the pentasaccharide motif responsible for Heparin antithrombotic activity. In connection with synthetic chemistry, these findings have paved the way to the development of entire families of heparin derived compounds that still constitute nowadays the primary source of clinical anticoagulants.

Beyond its anticoagulant activity, Heparin also represents the archetypal member of a large family of cellular polysaccharides, termed glycosaminoglycans. Recent work on these molecules have shown that they play essential roles in the regulation of many biological processes, as diverse as development and growth, regeneration, inflammation and immune response, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases or infectious mechanisms.


To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Heparin discovery and subsequent developments, Aviesan is glad to invite you to a one-day scientific meeting, which will gather the best specialists in the study of the structural complexity and functional diversity of these highly fascinating polysaccharides.

Followed by the first meeting of the French “GDR – Gagoscience https://gagosciences.ibs.fr/Gagosciences/les-journees-du-gdr-1/2016 11th of October 2016.

Please register before 29th of September 2016, and submit your abstract before 27th September 2016.

With the support of:

Logos GDR Gagosciences - Aviesan - ITMO BMSV - CNRS

Logo Inserm

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