the neural
ECM has low levels of fibrillar proteins includ
ing laminin, collagens, and fibronectin with
the majority of these proteins being localiz
ed to substructures of the CNS including
basement membranes, the subpial space, blood
vessels, and in white matter tracts (Liesi,
1984). Instead, the backbone of the neural EC
M is HA, a non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan
made up of alternating glucur
onic acid and N-acetylglucosam
ine disaccharide subunits and
devoid of a protein core (Ruoslahti, 1996; Tool
e, 2000, 2004