Open AccessNew Roles for Galectins in Brain Tumors—From Prognostic Markers to Therapeutic Targets
Author(s) -
Stillman Brian.,
Mischel Paul S.,
Baum Linda G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
brain pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.986
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1750-3639
pISSN - 1015-6305
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2005.tb00507.x
Subject(s) - galectin , cancer , galectin 3 , biology , cancer research , galectin 1 , cell adhesion , cell , immunology , genetics
Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, brain tumors continue to be the leading cause of cancer‐related death in patients under 35 years of age, demonstrating the need for better prognostic and therapeutic targets. Galectins, a family of mammalian carbohydrate binding proteins, are involved in many processes important for tumor survival and dissemination, including proliferation, apoptosis, transcriptional regulation, intracellular signaling, cell adhesion, and cell migration. Several galectins are expressed in human brain, with many galectins demonstrating altered expression during tumor progression. Thus, galectins and the functions regulated by this family of proteins are potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. This review highlights the roles of galectins in cancer and specifically, the developing field of galectins in brain cancer.