The heparin-like antiproliferative activity of sulfated tetrasaccharides is sensitive to structural variation

The sulfated tetrasaccharide β-maltosyl-(1→4)-α,α-trehalose 2 with high antiproliferative activity on smooth muscle cells was modified in the maltosyl moiety by linking eight different disaccharides equatorially to trehalose; the biological activity varied strongly between different structures.