AUTHOR=Poncini Carolina V. , Benatar Alejandro F. , Gomez Karina A. , Rabinovich Gabriel A. 

TITLE=Galectins in Chagas Disease: A Missing Link Between Trypanosoma cruzi Infection, Inflammation, and Tissue Damage

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.794765

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.794765

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Trypanosoma cruzi</italic>, the protozoan parasite causative agent of Chagas disease, affects about seven million people worldwide, representing a major global public health concern with relevant socioeconomic consequences, particularly in developing countries. In this review, we discuss the multiple roles of galectins, a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins, in modulating both <italic>T. cruzi</italic> infection and immunoregulation. Specifically, we focus on galectin-driven circuits that link parasite invasion and inflammation and reprogram innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding the dynamics of galectins and their β-galactoside-specific ligands during the pathogenesis of <italic>T. cruzi</italic> infection and elucidating their roles in immunoregulation, inflammation, and tissue damage offer new rational opportunities for treating this devastating neglected disease.</p>