title: Galectins and their ligands: amplifiers, silencers or tuners of the inflammatory response?
abstract: Recent evidence has implicated galectins and their ligands as master regulators of immune cell homeostasis. Whereas some members of this family, such as galectin-3, behave as amplifiers of the inflammatory cascade, others, such as galectin-1, trigger homeostatic signals to shut off T-cell effector functions. These carbohydrate-binding proteins, identified by shared consensus amino acid sequences and affinity for beta-galactoside-containing sugars, participate in the homeostasis of the inflammatory response, either by regulating cell survival and signaling, influencing cell growth and chemotaxis, interfering with cytokine secretion, mediating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions or influencing tumor progression and metastasis. The current wealth of new information promises a future scenario in which individual members of the galectin family or their ligands will be used as powerful anti-inflammatory mediators and selective modulators of the immune response.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunogenetics, Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Córdoba 2351, 3er Piso (1120), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriel A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rabinovich
authors.forename: Linda G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tinari
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paganelli
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Natoli
authors.forename: Fu Tong
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iacobelli
mesh_terms: D000606:Amino Sugars / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002450:Cell Communication; D002470:Cell Survival; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D037161:Galectins; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008024:Ligands; D008322:Mammals / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000606:Amino Sugars; D037161:Galectins; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D008024:Ligands; D011134:Polysaccharides; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C066929:polylactosamine