Reprogramming the tumor metastasis cascade by targeting galectin-driven networks

A sequence of interconnected events known as the metastatic cascade promotes tumor progression by regulating cellular and molecular interactions between tumor, stromal, endothelial, immune cells both locally systemically. Recently, a new concept has emerged to better describe this process defining four attributes that should undergo. Every individual hallmark represents unique trait cell impacts directly in outcome metastasis process. These critical features, hallmarks metastasis, include motility invasion, modulation microenvironment, plasticity colonization. They are hierarchically regulated at different levels several factors, including galectins, highly conserved family β-galactoside-binding proteins abundantly expressed microenvironments sites metastasis. In review, we discuss role galectins modulating each highlighting novel therapeutic opportunities for treating disease.