The Role of Galectins in the Immune Microenvironment in Human Cancers and Potential Therapeutic Approaches

Galectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are involved in many physiological functions, such as inflammation, immune responses, cell migration, autophagy and signalling. They are also linked to diseases such as fibrosis, cancer and heart disease. In cancer, galectins have been demonstrated to play key roles in angiogenesis and modulating the immune system. For instance, cytometric analysis of several tumours indicated that overexpression of Gal-1 decreased the population of intratumoral leukocytes, while Gal-1 KO increased the number of T cells within the tumour. Three hypotheses have been suggested in the reduction of intratumoral T cells: (1) apoptosis of intratumoral T cell, (2) decreased proliferation of T cells inside the tumour, and (3) decreased migration of T cells into the tumour. Gal-1 was also found to induce activation of STAT1 which in turn increases the synthesis of Gal-9 and PD-L1. In addition, galectin-3 interacts with immune cells and inhibits the normal functions of lymphocytes, thereby mediating the immune escape of tumour cells. This represents a complex relationship between different galectins and also, the immune system. Therefore, it is important to gain more insight into the molecular mechanisms of galectin-induced immunosuppression in order to develop novel anti-galectin therapeutic strategies. In this special issue, we invite authors to submit manuscripts focused on galectins, their roles in regulating immune response and potential therapeutic interventions targeting galectins in human cancers.

This special issue will focus on how galectins regulate immune surveilance to influence tumour growth and metastasis. The aim is to collect new ideas, concepts and findings in the field of cancer and galectin which have the potential in translational medicine, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

We call for papers on immune-focused aspects of galectins in human cancers. This could include the following:
- Galectins and their interactions with tumour angiogensis and immunesuppression
- Galectins-induced tumour immune suppression/modulation (innate & adaptive)
- Therapetuic approaches in targeting galectins in cancer.

We invite high-quality original research articles, reviews, mini reviews, clinical trials etc. This can include computational approaches, physiological approaches, cell-based work, drug discovery (both in vitro and in vivo) etc. We will also consider proposals for forward-looking synthesis, and direction-defining commentary on the roles of galectins in cancer immunology.

Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this topic.