CS/DS structures are implicated in brain development 39 and injury to the central nervous system 40. During development, IdoA-containing structures (iA, iB, iE and iD) are ubiquitous in different parts of the brain 31,41, although at low concentrations. Indeed, CS/DS brains of newborn mice comprise only 2% iduronic acid 22. The CS/DS bioenzymatic machinery is carefully regulated during brain development, resulting in a large variation of IdoA-containing structures. For example, in the cerebellum, iD decreases and iB increases from newborn to adult age 31. Interestingly, the embryo-derived CS/DS shows a greater binding of FGFs (FGF-2, -10 and -18), pleiotrophin, midkine, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) than CS/DS from the brains of adult animals 42.
