USE OF HYDROGELS ON THE BASIS OF GULURONIC ACID- AND/OR MANNURONIC ACID-CONTAINING POLYSACCHARIDES FOR TREATING DAMAGE TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, PROMOTING NERVE GROWTH, TREATING NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND CULTIVATING NEURONS

摘要

The invention relates to the use of a hydrogel which contains a-L-guluronic acid- (GuIUA) and/or ß-D-mannuronic acid (ManUA)-containing oligosaccharides or polysaccharides, for treating damage to the nervous system, promoting nerve growth, for the prophylaxis of nerve damage during surgical procedures and for the treatment and the prophylaxis of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of the invention is to promote selectively the growth of neurites in nerve cells and/or increase the adhesion of neurons to surfaces, in particular of cell culture vessels. For this purpose, the hydrogel used according to the invention is produced in the presence of bivalent or polyvalent cations having a concentration of no more than 4 mmol/1. To this end, the carbohydrate units in the hydrogel are not covalently cross-linked by chemical linkers.