GALECTINS AS IMMUNOREGULATORS DURING INFECTIOUS PROCESSES: FROM MICROBIAL INVASION TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE DISEASE

GABRIEL A. RABINOVICH,; ADRIANA GRUPPI

PARASITE IMMUNOLOGY

Blackwell Scientific Publications.

Lugar: Oxford, UK; Año: 2005 vol. 27 p. 103 - 114

0141-9838

Recent evidence has implicated galectins, a family of evolutionarily conserved carbohydrate-binding proteins, as regulators of immune cell homeostasis and host-pathogen interactions. Galectins operate at different levels of innate and adaptive immune responses, by modulating cell survival,  cell activation or by influencing with the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance. Furthermore, galectins may contribute to host-pathogen recognition and may serve as receptors for specific interactions of pathogens with their insect vectors. Here we will explore the influence of galectins in immunological processes relevant to microbial infection and will summarize exciting recent work related to the specific interactions between galectins and their glycoconjugate ligands as critical determinants of pathogen recognition. Understanding the role of galectin-sugar interactions during the course of microbial infections might contribute to defining novel targets for disease prevention and immune intervention.