AN EMERGING ROLE FOR GALECTINS IN TUNING THE IMMUNE RESPONSE: LESSONS FROM EXPERIMENTAL MODELS OF INFLAMMATORY DISEASES, AUTOIMMUNITY AND CANCER

G. A. RABINOVICH,; F.T. LIU,; M. HIRASHIMA,; A. ANDERSON

SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY

Blackwell Scientific Publications

Año: 2007 vol. 66 p. 143 - 158

0300-9475

Inflammation is a critical process for eliminating pathogens, but can lead to serious deleterious effects if left unchecked. Identifying the endogenous factors that control immune tolerance and inflammation is a key goal in the field of immunology. Galectins, a family of endogenous lectins with affinity for beta-galactoside-containing oligosaccharides, are expressed by several cells of the immune system and tissue-resident stromal cells. According to their architecture, this family of glycan-binding proteins is classified in those containing one-carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) (proto-type), those containing two-CRD joined by a linker non-lectin domain (tandem-repeat) and those that have one-CRD attached to an N-terminal peptide (chimera-type). Accumulating evidence indicates that galectins play critical regulatory roles in immune cell response and homeostasis. In this review, we summarize recent developments in our understanding of the galectins´ roles within different immune cell compartments, and in the broader context of the inflammatory microenvironments. In particular we illustrate the immunoregulatory role of three representative members of each galectin subfamily: galectin-1, -3 and -9. This body of knowledge, documenting the coming of age of galectins as potential immunosuppressive agents or targets for anti-inflammatory drugs, represents a sound basis to further explore their potential as novel therapies for autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation and cancer.66(2-3):143-58