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Galectin-3 in metabolic disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic potential
Qian Jiang1, Qijin Zhao1, Pingping Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China; Diabetes Research Center of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China; CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism and Target Discovery of Metabolic Disorder and Tumorigenesis, Beijing 100050, China.
Abstract:
Galectin-3 (Gal3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, is expressed predominantly in immunological and inflammatory cells. Gal3 expression is elevated in metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and plays an important role in the progression of these diseases. In this review, we summarize the structure and post-translational modifications of Gal3 and the cellular functions of Gal3 according to its subcellular localization. We focused on the pathological functions and molecular mechanisms of Gal3 in various cell types. In particular, extracellular Gal3 and intracellular Gal3 may have different physiological and pathological functions. We also discuss promising Gal3 inhibitors or antibodies that are currently in clinical trials and outstanding questions and challenges for future pursuit.
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