Precise Synthesis of Highly Branched <i>Angelica dahurica</i> Polysaccharides up to 66 Units Reveals a Minimal Motif for Wound Repair
Abstract
ABSTRACT Polysaccharides derived from Angelica dahurica exhibit potent wound healing activity, yet the pronounced structural heterogeneity of natural extracts has obscured the identity of the active motif and hindered clinical translation. Here we report a convergent, one‐pot [22+22+22] glycosylation strategy based on glycosyl donor preactivation that enables the precise chemical synthesis of a 66‐unit A. dahurica polysaccharide. This approach facilitates the efficient assembly of a comprehensive glycan library spanning tetrasaccharides to the full‐length 66‐mer polysaccharide, allowing for systematic biological evaluation. Functional screening identifies the reducing end hexasaccharide as the minimal active motif responsible for wound healing activity. Mechanistic analyses reveal that the synthetic hexa‐ and dodecasaccharides promote fibroblast and keratinocyte proliferation and migration, while concurrently reprogramming macrophage polarization. Crucially, gram‐scale synthesis of both glycans enables definitive in vivo evaluation, demonstrating significantly accelerated wound closure through attenuation of excessive inflammation and promotion of organized collagen deposition. Collectively, these findings establish a general paradigm for deconvoluting heterogeneous natural polysaccharide extracts through de novo synthesis of structurally well‐defined glycans as precision‐engineered wound healing therapeutics.
Article Details
Authors (13)
Jialin Wang
Yang Ruan
Na Zhao
Sixu Lu
Rui Ge
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Jing Ling
Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University
Chandler K. Wells
Department of Chemistry The University of Texas at Austin Austin USA
Wenbin Shen
Guizhong Xin
State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing China
Chaofeng Zhang
Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Leibniz International Joint Research Centre of Materials Sciences of Anhui Province
Lian‐Wen Qi
State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing China
Xin‐Shan Ye
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Peking University Beijing China
Xianjin Qin
Department of Chemistry