title: Cancer Therapy Due to Apoptosis: Galectin-9.
abstract: Dysregulation of apoptosis is a major hallmark in cancer biology that might equip tumors with a higher malignant potential and chemoresistance. The anti-cancer activities of lectin, defined as a carbohydrate-binding protein that is not an enzyme or antibody, have been investigated for over a century. Recently, galectin-9, which has two distinct carbohydrate recognition domains connected by a linker peptide, was noted to induce apoptosis in thymocytes and immune cells. The apoptosis of these cells contributes to the development and regulation of acquired immunity. Furthermore, human recombinant galectin-9, hG9NC (null), which lacks an entire region of the linker peptide, was designed to resist proteolysis. The hG9NC (null) has demonstrated anti-cancer activities, including inducing apoptosis in hematological, dermatological and gastrointestinal malignancies. In this review, the molecular characteristics, history and apoptosis-inducing potential of galectin-9 are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. 92m7v9@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Life Science Research Center, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. iwama@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hisakazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwama
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. oura@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. tadokoro@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. samukawa@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. sakamoto@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Teppei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. nomura@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. tani@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. yoneyama@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoneyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. morishita@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Asahiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Technology, Kagawa Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Hara 281-1, Mure, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0123, Japan. himoto@chs.pref.kagawa.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Himoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Immunopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. mitsuomi@kms.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mitsuomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. tmasaki@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D037161:Galectins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D037161:Galectins; C105032:LGALS9 protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
keywords: apoptosis; cancer; caspase-1; galectin-9; glycan; pyroptosis; therapy