Third International Workshop in Hyaluronan in Drug Delivery Proceedings of a Round Table Meeting Held in Nyon, Switzerland on 31 March - 1 April 1995 - Round Table Series

The polysaccharide hyaluronan was first isolated from bovine vitreous body in 1934. Since then, it has been found in all vertebrate tissues and body fluids, but in varying amounts; the highest concentrations have been observed in soft connective tissues, and the lowest in blood. Proteins have been discovered which specifically bind to hyaluronan, for instance HARLEC, the endocytose receptor hyaluronan in liver endothelial cells and RHAMM, the receptor for hyaluronan which mediates motility. Hyaluronan is receiving increasing attention in clinical medicine. It can be used as a surgical aid in ophthalmic surgery, in the treatment of joints and in the relief of pain.;The papers and discussions in this publication are drawn from the Third International Workshop on Hyaluronan in Drug Delivery held in Nyon, Switzerland in 1995. The volume reports studies of the structure and metabolism of hyaluronan, its drug delivery properties, effects on experimental adhesion and its clinical use in the treatment of osteoarthritis and cancer.