Unraveling galectin-1 as a novel therapeutic target for cancer

• Published in: Cancer treatment reviews Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 307 - 319
• Main Authors: Astorgues-Xerri, Lucile, Riveiro, Maria E, Tijeras-Raballand, Annemilaï, Serova, Maria, Neuzillet, Cindy, Albert, Sébastien, Raymond, Eric, Faivre, Sandrine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Animals; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Calixarenes - pharmacology; Cell transformation; Galectin 1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Galectin 1 - metabolism; Galectin-1; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Invasion; Medical sciences; Metastasis; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Neoplasm Invasiveness - prevention & control; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - metabolism; Neoplasms - pathology; Neovascularization, Pathologic - drug therapy; Neovascularization, Pathologic - prevention & control; Novel target; Peptides - pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Therapeutic application; Thiogalactosides - pharmacology; Tumors; Up-Regulation; Gal-1; VEGFR2; NRP1; extracellular-signal-regulated kinase; tissue plasminogen activator; JNK; nuclear factor kappa B; NFkB; Metastasis; Cell transformation; CDC42; Ras homolog gene family, member A; Angiogenesis; PI3K; reactive oxygen species; HIF1α; protein kinase C; galectin-1; Therapeutic application; tPA; vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2; neuropilin-1; PKC; c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases; ECM; RhoA; Invasion; cell division control protein 42 homolog; MMP; MEK; ROS; phosphoinositide-3-kinase; matrix metalloproteinase; mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAP2K); Novel target; extracellular matrix; hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha; ERK; Galectin-1; Targeting; Targeted therapy; Malignant tumor; Carcinogenesis; Target; Treatment; Neovascularization; Galectin 1; Cancer
• ISSN: 0305-7372; 1532-1967
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2013.07.007

Summary Galectins belong to a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins with an affinity for β-galactosides. Galectin-1 is differentially expressed by various normal and pathologic tissues and displays a wide range of biological activities. In oncology, galectin-1 plays a pivotal role in tumor growth and in the multistep process of invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Evidence indicates that galectin-1 exerts a variety of functions at different steps of tumor progression. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that galectin-1 cellular localization and galectin-1 binding partners depend on tumor localization and stage. Recently, galectin-1 overexpression has been extensively documented in several tumor types and/or in the stroma of cancer cells. Its expression is thought to reflect tumor aggressiveness in several tumor types. Galectin-1 has been identified as a promising drug target using synthetic and natural inhibitors. Preclinical data suggest that galectin-1 inhibition may lead to direct antiproliferative effects in cancer cells as well as antiangiogenic effects in tumors. We provide an up-to-date overview of available data on the role of galectin-1 in different molecular and biochemical pathways involved in human malignancies. One of the major challenges faced in targeting galectin-1 is the translation of current knowledge into the design and development of effective galectin-1 inhibitors in cancer therapy.