s-maltoheptaose

**s-maltoheptaose** is a chemically sulfated derivative of maltoheptaose, a maltooligosaccharide composed of seven glucose units linked via glycosidic bonds. As reported in preclinical research, s-maltoheptaose functions as a *heparin mimetic* and specifically antagonizes the interaction of heparan sulfate (HS, particularly syndecan-1) with certain inflammatory effectors in the airways, such as neutrophil elastase (NE) and CINC-1 (the rat analog of human IL-8). In a rat model of smoke-induced airway inflammation (a proxy for COPD), airway administration of s-maltoheptaose disrupted syndecan-1-mediated recruitment of neutrophils, leading to reduced neutrophilic infiltration, lower myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and diminished CINC-1 gradients in the lung. This displacement effect allows natural inhibitors of NE (e.g., α1-antitrypsin) to inactivate it, potentially reducing tissue damage. s-maltoheptaose is in the experimental phase and is not a marketed or approved pharmaceutical. Its *mechanism* is unique among glycomimetic anti-inflammatories, acting by physically displacing inflammatory mediators from cell-surface HS-proteoglycans during neutrophil-driven airway inflammation[3].

Other names

sulfated maltoheptaose