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Animal Lectins: Form, Function and Clinical Applications pp 291–310Cite as

Galectin-3: A Cancer Marker with Therapeutic Applications

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Abstract

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a pleiotropic carbohydrate-binding protein involved in a variety of normal and pathological biological processes. Its carbohydrate-binding properties constitute the basis for cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions (Chap. 12) and cancer progression. Gal-3 is known to be expressed in various neoplasms including thyroid tumors. Gal-3 is widely spread among different types of cells and tissues, found intracellularly in nucleus and cytoplasm or secreted via non-classical pathway outside the cell, thus being found on the cell surface or in the extracellular space. Gal-3 is involved in RNA processing and cell cycle regulation through activation of transcription factors when translocated to the nucleus. Gal-3 affects numerous biological processes and seems to be involved in different physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Most members of the galectin family including galectin-1 possess apoptotic activities, whereas Gal-3 possesses anti-apoptotic activity (Dumic et al. 2006). Studies lead to the recognition of Gal-3 as a diagnostic/prognostic marker for specific cancer types, such as thyroid and prostate (Califice et al. 2004b). Though the immune system recognizes diverse cancer antigens, tumors can evade the immune response, therefore growing and progressing. However, there is strong evidence indicating that the regulation of galectins function in the human tumor microenvironment is a complex process that is influenced by diverse biological circumstances.

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  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rayat and Bahra Institute of Engineering and Biotechnology, Kharar (Mohali), Punjab, India

    Anita Gupta (Assistant Professor)

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Gupta, A. (2012). Galectin-3: A Cancer Marker with Therapeutic Applications. In: Animal Lectins: Form, Function and Clinical Applications. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1065-2_13

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