TY - JOUR
T1 - Galectokines
T2 - The Promiscuous Relationship between Galectins and Cytokines
AU - Sanjurjo, Lucía
AU - Broekhuizen, Esmee C
AU - Koenen, Rory R
AU - Thijssen, Victor L J L
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/9/13
Y1 - 2022/9/13
N2 - Galectins, a family of glycan-binding proteins, are well-known for their role in shaping the immune microenvironment. They can directly affect the activity and survival of different immune cell subtypes. Recent evidence suggests that galectins also indirectly affect the immune response by binding to members of another immunoregulatory protein family, i.e., cytokines. Such galectin-cytokine heterodimers, here referred to as galectokines, add a new layer of complexity to the regulation of immune homeostasis. Here, we summarize the current knowledge with regard to galectokine formation and function. We describe the known and potential mechanisms by which galectokines can help to shape the immune microenvironment. Finally, the outstanding questions and challenges for future research regarding the role of galectokines in immunomodulation are discussed.
AB - Galectins, a family of glycan-binding proteins, are well-known for their role in shaping the immune microenvironment. They can directly affect the activity and survival of different immune cell subtypes. Recent evidence suggests that galectins also indirectly affect the immune response by binding to members of another immunoregulatory protein family, i.e., cytokines. Such galectin-cytokine heterodimers, here referred to as galectokines, add a new layer of complexity to the regulation of immune homeostasis. Here, we summarize the current knowledge with regard to galectokine formation and function. We describe the known and potential mechanisms by which galectokines can help to shape the immune microenvironment. Finally, the outstanding questions and challenges for future research regarding the role of galectokines in immunomodulation are discussed.
KW - Cytokines/metabolism
KW - Galectins/metabolism
KW - Immunity
KW - Immunomodulation
KW - Polysaccharides/metabolism
U2 - 10.3390/biom12091286
DO - 10.3390/biom12091286
M3 - (Systematic) Review article
C2 - 36139125
SN - 2218-273X
VL - 12
JO - Biomolecules
JF - Biomolecules
IS - 9
M1 - 1286
ER -