Liu Dan, Zhu Hongtao, Li Chuanzhou
Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Biomark Res. 2023 Feb 22;11(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s40364-023-00466-9.
Galectins are animal lectins with specific affinity for galactosides via the conserved carbohydrate recognition domains. Increasing studies recently have identified critical roles of galectin family members in tumor progression. Abnormal expression of galectins contributes to the proliferation, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), immunosuppression, radio-resistance and chemoresistance in various cancers, which has attracted cumulative clinical interest in galectin-based cancer treatment. Galectin family members have been reported to participate in autophagy regulation under physiological conditions and in non-tumoral diseases, and implication of galectins in multiple processes of carcinogenesis also involves regulation of autophagy, however, the relationship between galectins, autophagy and cancer remains largely unclear. In this review, we introduce the structure and function of galectins at the molecular level, summarize their engagements in autophagy and cancer progression, and also highlight the regulation of autophagy by galectins in cancer as well as the therapeutic potentials of galectin and autophagy-based strategies. Elaborating on the mechanism of galectin-regulated autophagy in cancers will accelerate the exploitation of galectins-autophagy targeted therapies in treatment for cancer.
半乳糖凝集素是一类动物凝集素，通过保守的碳水化合物识别结构域对半乳糖苷具有特异性亲和力。近年来，越来越多的研究发现半乳糖凝集素家族成员在肿瘤进展中发挥着关键作用。半乳糖凝集素的异常表达促进了各种癌症的增殖、转移、上皮-间质转化（EMT）、免疫抑制、放射抗性和化学抗性，这引发了临床上对半乳糖凝集素介导的癌症治疗的持续关注。据报道，半乳糖凝集素家族成员在生理条件下和非肿瘤性疾病中参与自噬调节，并且半乳糖凝集素在肿瘤发生的多个过程中的作用也涉及自噬调节，然而，半乳糖凝集素、自噬与癌症之间的关系在很大程度上仍不清楚。在这篇综述中，我们在分子水平上介绍了半乳糖凝集素的结构和功能，总结了它们在自噬和癌症进展中的作用，同时强调了半乳糖凝集素在癌症中对自噬的调节以及基于半乳糖凝集素和自噬的策略的治疗潜力。阐述半乳糖凝集素在癌症中调节自噬的机制将加速开发针对半乳糖凝集素-自噬的癌症治疗方法。
