Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 12, 2025

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cell Surface Protein Binding Assay for Assessing Selectivity and Specificity of an Anticancer Aptamer
10:46

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cell Surface Protein Binding Assay for Assessing Selectivity and Specificity of an Anticancer Aptamer

Published on: September 13, 2022

3.7K

Inhibition of galectins in cancer: Biological challenges for their clinical application

Diego José Laderach1,2,3, Daniel Compagno1,2

  • 1Molecular and Functional Glyco-Oncology Laboratory, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facutad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Frontiers in Immunology
|January 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Galectin inhibitors show promise for cancer treatment but clinical trials have yielded inconclusive results. Further research is needed to overcome biological challenges and improve therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Galectins are key regulators of tumor development, progression, and metastasis.
  • Galectins represent promising therapeutic targets for various cancers.
  • Current clinical trials of galectin inhibitors have produced inconclusive outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review galectin inhibitors currently under clinical evaluation.
  • To discuss biological challenges hindering the efficacy of galectin-targeted cancer therapies.
  • To identify strategies for improving galectin-based cancer treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of preclinical and clinical studies on galectin inhibitors.
  • Analysis of biological mechanisms underlying galectin function in cancer.
  • Synthesis of data on challenges and potential solutions for galectin-targeted therapies.

Main Results:

  • Several galectin inhibitors are in various stages of clinical development.
  • Significant biological hurdles, including target specificity and tumor microenvironment interactions, impact inhibitor efficacy.
  • The review highlights the need for refined therapeutic strategies.

Conclusions:

  • Despite their therapeutic potential, galectin inhibitors face significant challenges in clinical application.
  • Addressing biological complexities is crucial for developing effective galectin-based cancer treatments.
  • Further research and strategic development are necessary to translate galectin inhibition into successful cancer therapies.
Keywords:
cancer treatmentsgalectin inhibitorsgalectinsmedical intervention for cancertumor microenvironment

More Related Videos

A GPC3-targeting Bispecific Antibody, GPC3-S-Fab, with Potent Cytotoxicity11:13

A GPC3-targeting Bispecific Antibody, GPC3-S-Fab, with Potent Cytotoxicity

Published on: July 12, 2018

8.7K
Bioinformatics Resources for the Study of Glycan-Mediated Protein Interactions11:21

Bioinformatics Resources for the Study of Glycan-Mediated Protein Interactions

Published on: January 20, 2022

3.5K

Related Concept Videos

Selectins01:25

Selectins

Cell adhesion is  an essential aspect of multicellularity. While stable cell interactions usually occur between cells of the same type, transient cell interactions occur between cells of different tissue types, such as between neutrophils and endothelial cells. Selectins are one class of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that bind carbohydrate ligands to form transient cell adhesion. They are rod-like proteins with a long extracellular part of variable length ending with the lectin domain,...
3.4K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.8K
Activation of Integrins01:15

Activation of Integrins

Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding...
3.5K