New insights into the role of endogenous galectin-1 in mucosal homeostasis: studies in experimental models of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD)

LUCIANO MOROSI; ANABELA M. CUTINE; ROSA M. MORALES; MARTA TOSCANO; GABRIEL A. RABINOVICH; KARINA V. MARIÑO

Medellin

Congreso; IMMUNOCOLOMBIA2015 - 11th Congress of the Latin American Association of Immunology - 10o. Congreso de la Asociación Colombiana de Alergia, Asma e Inmunología; 2015; 2015

Our laboratory investigates the role of glycans and their interaction with endogenous lectins in the development and resolution of chronic inflammatory diseases. Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is a glycan-binding protein that recognizes N- and O-glycans bearing the disaccharide N-acetyllactosamine (Galβ(1-4)-GlcNAc) and is capable of exerting protective and immunomodulatory activity in different chronic inflammation models, including 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in mice. When administered at the same time as the instillation of TNBS, recombinant Gal-1 effectively protects against the development of the disease. With the overarching goal of studying the role of endogenous Gal-1 in mucosal homeostasis and intestinal immunoregulation as well as validating its therapeutic activity in IBD, we optimized a model of TNBS-induced colitis and evaluated the outcome of the disease and its resolution in C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and corresponding Gal-1 knock-out (Lgals1-/-, Gal1KO) mice. An improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of Gal-1 in intestinal inflammation may reveal a potential alternative treatment for human IBD.