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Glycomics-Guided Glycoproteomics Facilitates Comprehensive Profiling of the Glycoproteome in Complex Tumor Microenvironments
Published on: February 7, 2025
Galectin 3 expression in gastrointestinal tumors identified through comprehensive bioinformatic mapping
Maurizio Chiriva-Internati1, Fabio Grizzi2,3, Mohamed A A A Hegazi2
1Departments of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. MNChiriva@mdanderson.org.
Discover Oncology
|June 10, 2026
Summary
Galectin-3 (GAL-3) is upregulated in several gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, correlating with poor survival and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Targeting GAL-3 may improve immune responses and patient outcomes in GI cancers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a significant global health challenge with high mortality rates.
- Current treatments for advanced GI cancers have limited efficacy, necessitating novel biomarkers and therapeutic strategies.
- Galectin-3 (GAL-3), a protein encoded by LGALS3, plays a crucial role in tumor biology, influencing processes like cell adhesion, migration, and immune regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression patterns of LGALS3 in various GI cancers.
- To explore the relationship between LGALS3 expression and immune infiltration within the tumor microenvironment.
- To identify potential therapeutic targets for enhancing anti-tumor immunity in GI cancers.
Main Methods:
- In silico bioinformatic analyses were employed to assess LGALS3 expression and immune infiltration across seven GI cancer types.
- Protein-protein interaction networks and Gene Ontology enrichment analyses were conducted to identify key molecular partners and biological functions.
- Statistical analyses were used to correlate LGALS3 expression with patient survival data.
Main Results:
- LGALS3 was significantly upregulated in cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL), esophageal adenocarcinoma (ESCA), and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and showed higher expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) and stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD).
- Elevated GAL-3 expression was associated with poorer patient survival, particularly in LIHC and PAAD.
- Immune infiltration analysis suggested that GAL-3 contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, with identified key partners including MAPK3 and PTEN.
Conclusions:
- LGALS3 is a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for GI cancers.
- Targeting GAL-3 may serve as a therapeutic strategy to modulate the tumor microenvironment and enhance immune responses.
- Further research into GAL-3's role could lead to improved treatment outcomes for GI cancer patients.
