Galectins in allergic inflammatory diseases.

ABSTRACT

Allergic inflammatory diseases are a global public health concern affecting millions of people. Although there are several potential hypotheses, details regarding their molecular mechanisms are still ambiguous. Recently, a group of ß-galactoside-binding proteins, galectins, have been revealed as important factors in altering allergic chronic inflammatory diseases. In this review, we describe the molecular and cellular basis of how galectins modulate inflammatory reactions. We also provide an overview of clinical features related to galectins. Finally, we discuss the potential issues that might lead to misrepresentation of the exact biological functions of galectins.