Abstract: Highly purified and specific glycosaminoglycan degrading enzymes, chondroitinase B and chondroitinase AC, are used to treat fibroproliferative diseases. The enzymatic removal of chondroitin sulfate B (dermatan sulfate), and to a lesser extent, chondroitin sulfate A or C, from cell surfaces effectively decreases growth factor receptors on the cells and thereby decreases the cell proliferative response to such growth factors. In addition, removal of chondroitin sulfates reduces secretion of collagen, one of the major extracellular matrix components. Through the combined inhibition of fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, treatment with chondroitinase B or chondroitinase AC decreases the size of fibrous tissue found in psoriasis, scleroderma, keloids, pulmonary fibrosis and surgical adhesions.

Abstract: The present invention describes the isolation and sequence of genes from Flavobacterium heparinum encoding heparin and heparan sulfate degrading enzymes, heparinase II and heparinase III (EC 4.2.2.8). It further describes a method of expressing and an expression for heparinases I, II and III using a modified ribosome binding region derived from a promoter from glycosaminoglycan lyase genes of F. heparinum. Also, a multi-step protein purification method incorporating cell disruption, cation exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and hydroxylapatite chromatography is outlined. Antibodies against a post-translational modification moiety common to Flavobacterium heparinum proteins and a method to obtain antibodies specific to these moieties and to the amino acid sequences of heparinases I, II and III are described.