Galectin-3 is a member (if a large family of beta-galactoside-binding animal lectins. It has been shown that the expression of galectin-3 is upregulated in proliferating cells, suggesting a possible role for this lectin in regulation of cell growth. Previously, we have shown that T cells infected with human T-cell leukemia virus type I express high levels of galectin-3, in contrast to uninfecte...

When infection occurs, neutrophils rapidly migrate to the affected site. Although the neutrophils neutralize microorganisms, they can also cause tissue damage or render invasion pathways to pathogens. Thus, the migration could be either beneficial or unfavorable in the initial control of infection. Studies on neutrophil recruitment revealed its complexity, especially in terms of the regulation ...

In previous studies, we reported that fractionation of HeLa cell nuclear extracts on glycerol gradients revealed an endogenous ∼10S particle that contained galectin-3 and U1 snRNP and this particle was sufficient to load the galectin polypeptide onto a pre-mRNA substrate. We now document that this interaction between the galectin-3-U1 snRNP particle and the pre-mRNA results in a productive spli...

Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-binding protein which regulates many biological processes including cell adhesion, migration, cell growth, tumor progression, metastasis, and apoptosis. Although the exact function of galectin-3 in cancer development is unclear, galectin-3 expression is associated with neoplastic progression and metastatic potential. Since studies have suggested that tumor cell ...

The galectin family of glycan-binding proteins is thought to mediate many cellular processes by oligomerizing cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids into higher-order aggregates. This hypothesis reflects the known oligomeric states of the galectins themselves and their binding properties with multivalent ligands in vitro, but direct evidence of their ability to cross-link ligands on a cell ...

We examine serum level of galectin-3 in patients with bladder cancer. We used serum samples of 67 patients with urological diseases and classified these patients into bladder cancer group (n=43) and control group (n=24). Galectin-3 concentration was measured by ELISA (Human Galectin-3 Assay Kit, IBL). And we selected the patient with high serum galectin-3 concentration (Urothelial Carcinoma, G3...

Although galectin-1 and integrin α5β1 confer chemoresistance to certain types of cancer, whether their expression predicts the response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in squamous cervical cancer remains unclear. Paired tumor samples (pre- and post-chemotherapy) were obtained from 35 bulky squamous cervical cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based NACT and radical hystere...

Neovascular retinopathies are leading causes of irreversible blindness. Although vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors have been established as the mainstay of current treatment, clinical management of these diseases is still limited. As retinal impairment involves abnormal neovascularization and neuronal degeneration, we evaluated here the involvement of galectin-1 in vascular a...

Galectin-1, a beta-galactoside-binding soluble lectin, has been implicated in regulating immune system homeostasis. We investigated the function of galectin-1 in plasma cell differentiation and found that it is induced in primary murine and human differentiating B cells. B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1), a master regulator for plasma cell differentiation, was necessary and su...

OBJECTIVE To assess the role of a carbohydrate-binding protein, galectin-7, in reepithelialization of corneal wounds. METHODS Transepithelial excimer laser ablations were performed on mouse corneas, and the wounds were allowed to partially heal in vivo for 18 to 22 hours. At the end of the healing period, expression levels of galectin-7 messenger RNA and protein were analyzed using semiquanti...