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Galectin-1 research in T cell immunity: past, present and future
Filiberto Cedeno-Laurent1, Charles J Dimitroff
1Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Clinical Immunology (Orlando, Fla.)
|October 25, 2011
Summary
Galectin-1 (Gal-1) impacts inflammation and cancer by modulating T cells. New stable Gal-1 preparations offer potential as anti-inflammatory therapeutics and for boosting anti-tumor immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is a conserved ß-galactoside-binding protein implicated in inflammation and cancer.
- Gal-1 is expressed on immune and endothelial cells, and highly secreted by cancer cells.
Observation:
- Gal-1 induces T cell apoptosis via binding to N-acetyllactosamines on cell surface glycoproteins.
- Recombinant Gal-1 (rGal-1) has shown potential in potentiating T cell immunoregulatory functions in cancer and autoimmunity models.
Findings:
- This review analyzes Gal-1's structure-function and challenges with rGal-1 preparations.
- Novel Gal-1 preparations demonstrate enhanced dimeric stability and T cell activity.
Implications:
- These stable Gal-1 preparations renew interest in Gal-1 as an anti-inflammatory therapeutic.
- Strategies targeting the Gal-1-ligand axis may overcome Gal-1-mediated immune evasion in cancer, enhancing anti-tumor immunity.
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