Patent ID: 8338387

Claim:
A method of modulating neuronal growth, said method comprising contacting a cell with an effective amount of a compound of the following formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof, wherein each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 are selected as follows: (i) R1 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R2 is selected from sulfate, phosphate and carboxylate; and R3 and R4 are hydrogen; (ii) R3 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R4 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R1 and R2 are hydrogen; (iii) R1 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R2 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R3 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R4 is hydrogen; (iv) R1 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R2 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R4 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R3 is hydrogen; (v) R2 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; R4 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R1 and R3 are hydrogen; (vi) R1 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen; (vii) R2 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R1, R3, and R4 are hydrogen; (viii) R3 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R1, R2, and R4 are hydrogen; or (ix) R4 is selected from sulfate, phosphate, and carboxylate; and R1, R2, and R3 are hydrogen; with the provisos that (a) when R1 is sulfate, then R2 is other than H; (b) when R2 is sulfate then R1 is other than H; and R5 is selected from optionally substituted alkyl and optionally substituted alkenyl; and n is 0-100.