Galectin 1 as a biomarker in various cancers

Abstract

Aim: A key development in the field of oncology has been the discovery of galectins and their role in cancer growth, progression and metastasis. Early clinical studies went on to evaluate the utility of galectin–1 as promising novels biomarkers in cancer diagnosis.

Background: Galectin-1 is the most studied member in the family of galectins and has been implicated in various tumorigenic processes. Thus, the potential of galectin-1 as a cancer biomarker in various malignancies and how this novel marker modality may affect patient outcomes in the future needs to be discussed.

Review Results: Various experimental and clinical data demonstrate a correlation between galectin-1 expression and tumour development and therefore, galectins may have the potential to serve as reliable tumour markers in cancers. 

Conclusion: The unique role played by the galectin -1 protein in carcinogenesis, and its established role in the process of carcinogenesis demands further large cohort and cross sectional studies which validates its use as a biomarker   .

Clinical Significance: In most of the malignancies there is an increased serum level of galectin-1 which demonstrates its plausible use as potential novel biomarker in the field of oncology which can be used both for diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.