Galectin-3 antibody - HS-477 017BT

Galectin-3 (Gal-3, Mac-2) is a β-galactoside binding protein that is predominantly located in the cytoplasm and shuttles into the nucleus. In addition, it is secreted to the cell surface and into biological fluids. Depending on its localization, it exerts pleiotropic biological functions like cell growth, cell differentiation, inflammation, fibrogenesis, migration, apoptosis and host defense (1). It is also involved in cancer pathogenesis, proliferation and spreading of metastasis (2). Galectin-3 is highly expressed in the covering epithelia of the digestive tract and the urinary system (3) and plays important roles in the organization of renal and intestinal cells. Furthermore, Galectin-3 has been identified in a variety of other cell types including fibroblasts, keratinocytes, granulocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages (2). Galectin-3 is expressed by certain tissue-resident macrophages such as Kupffer cells in the liver, red pulp macrophages in the spleen and alveolar macrophages in the lung (3). In the brain, Galectin-3 is abundant in activated microglia but not expressed in resting cells. Following brain injury, Galectin-3 triggers anti-inflammatory properties of microglia (4). In Alzheimer’s disease, Gal-3 expression is strictly associated with microglial cell activation around Aβ plaques. In stroke Gal-3 was found to be expressed primarily in proinflammatory microglial cells (5).