Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Department of Dermatology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Exp Dermatol. 2018 Mar;27(3):217-226. doi: 10.1111/exd.13512.
The galectin family comprises β-galactoside-binding proteins widely expressed in many organisms. There are at least 16 family members, which can be classified into three groups based on their carbohydrate-recognition domains. Pleiotropic functions of different galectins in physiological and pathological processes through extracellular or intracellular actions have been revealed. In the skin, galectins are expressed in a variety of cells, including keratinocytes, melanocytes, fibroblasts, dendritic cells, lymphocytes, macrophages and endothelial cells. Expression of specific galectins is reported to affect cell status, such as activation or death, and regulate the interaction between different cell types or between cells and the extracellular matrix. In vitro cellular studies, in vivo animal studies and studies of human clinical material have revealed the pathophysiologic roles of galectins in the skin. The pathogenesis of diverse non-malignant skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, contact dermatitis and wound healing, as well as skin cancers, such as melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous haematologic malignancy can be regulated by different galectins. Revelation of biological roles of galectins in skin may pave the way to future development of galectin-based therapeutic strategies for skin diseases.
半乳糖凝集素家族包含广泛表达于多种生物的β-半乳糖苷结合蛋白。目前至少有 16 个家族成员，根据其碳水化合物识别结构域可分为 3 组。不同半乳糖凝集素在生理和病理过程中的多种功能已被揭示，其可通过细胞外或细胞内作用发挥作用。在皮肤中，半乳糖凝集素表达于多种细胞，包括角质形成细胞、黑素细胞、成纤维细胞、树突状细胞、淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞和内皮细胞。特定半乳糖凝集素的表达被报道可影响细胞状态，如激活或死亡，并调节不同细胞类型之间或细胞与细胞外基质之间的相互作用。体外细胞研究、体内动物研究和人类临床标本研究揭示了半乳糖凝集素在皮肤中的病理生理作用。不同非恶性皮肤疾病（如特应性皮炎、银屑病、接触性皮炎和伤口愈合）以及皮肤癌（如黑色素瘤、鳞状细胞癌、基底细胞癌和皮肤血液恶性肿瘤）的发病机制可被不同半乳糖凝集素调节。对半乳糖凝集素在皮肤中的生物学作用的揭示可能为基于半乳糖凝集素的皮肤病治疗策略的未来发展铺平道路。
