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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

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

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Published on: September 13, 2022

Reassessing galectin inhibition: Lessons for context-selective drug design and translational oncology

Yves St-Pierre1

  • 1Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, Quebec H7V 1B7, Canada.

Drug Discovery Today
|July 10, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Targeting galectins in cancer requires context-specific strategies beyond simple inhibition. New approaches must consider protein localization, microenvironment, and disease stage for therapeutic success.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Galectins play a significant role in tumor progression.
  • Current therapeutic strategies targeting galectins have faced challenges due to their multifunctional and context-dependent nature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the disconnect between the known role of galectins in cancer and the lack of clinical advances.
  • To propose a shift towards context-selective modulation of galectins rather than uniform inhibition.

Main Methods:

  • Revisiting the challenges of targeting multifunctional proteins in oncology.
  • Analyzing historical lessons and proposing improved preclinical models (e.g., resection paradigms, minimal residual disease).
  • Highlighting the need for companion biomarkers for patient stratification.

Main Results:

  • Galectins exemplify the difficulties in drugging proteins whose activity is shaped by localization, microenvironment, and disease stage.
  • Therapeutic success necessitates modulating galectin activity within specific cellular and temporal contexts, not just blocking carbohydrate recognition.

Conclusions:

  • A paradigm shift from uniform inhibition to context-selective modulation is crucial for effective galectin-targeted cancer therapies.
  • This approach is also relevant for other pleiotropic oncology targets.
  • Improved preclinical models and companion biomarkers are essential to bridge the translational gap.
Keywords:
cancer immunologycontext-selective modulationgalectinsglyco-immune checkpointprecision medicinetranslational oncologytumor microenvironment

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