MULTIPLE FUNCTIONAL TARGETS OF THE IMMUNOREGULATORY ACTIVITY OF GALECTIN-1: CONTROL OF IMMUNE CELL TRAFFICKING, DENDRITIC CELL PHYSIOLOGY AND T CELL FATE

DIANNE COOPER; JUAN M. ILARREGUI; SUSANA A. PESOA; DIEGO CROCI; MAURO PERRETTI; GABRIEL A. RABINOVICH

METHODS IN ENZYMOLOGY.

ELSEVIER ACADEMIC PRESS INC

Lugar: San Diego; Año: 2010 vol. 480 p. 199 - 244

0076-6879

In the postgenomic era, the study of the glycome- the whole repertoire of saccharides in cells and tissues- has enabled the association of unique glycan structures with specific physiological and pathological processes. The responsability for deciphering this biological information belongs to endogenous glycan-binding proteins or lectins. Galectin-1, a prototype member of a family of structurally-related proteins, has demonstrated selective antiinflammatory and immunoregulatory effects either by controlling immune cell trafficking, fine-tuning dendritic cell physiology and regulating T cell phate. These regulatory functions mediated by an endogenous glycan-binding protein may contribute tuo fullfil the needs for immune cell homeostasis.