Targeting of Tumor-Promoting Galectins in Breast Cancer
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: We are studying a group of proteins called galectins in breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. These proteins are present in breast cancer cells and tissues, and absent in the normal breast cells and tissues. Galectins are present inside the cells, but they can also be released into the tumor-surrounding tissues and contribute to the tumor cell adhesion and metastasis. In addition, these external galectins might suppress the immune response, and block apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells. Previously, we have observed specific pattern of high local induction, or 'hot spots', of one of these tumor-promoting proteins known as galectin-4, in benign biopsy tissues of patients who progressed to malignancy within 1-5 years.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Certain small molecules composed of sugars and amino acids called glycoamines are highly concentrated in sera of cancer patients, and absent in sera of healthy individuals. However, it is unknown how early in the progression of breast disease these compounds appear in sera. It is likely that some of these glycoamines are natural inhibitors of galectins. Small non-toxic synthetic glycoamines have been produced, and we have shown that one of these compounds inhibits galectin-1, and restores the ability of immune cells to produce cancer cell-killing molecules. Taken together, our data show that galectins might both help to predict breast disease progression, and be targets for therapy.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 In this project we will expand our studies of galectin-4 and galectin-1 in human breast cancer. We plan to study the expression patterns of these proteins in tissues of patients with the benign disease and with broad spectrum of breast cancers. We will also use advanced analytical techniques allowing detection of glycoamines in these patients' sera. During our studies, we will collaborate with clinicians to match the data on tissue galectin-4 and -1 amounts and the serum levels of glycoamines, with the disease status of the individual patients. Our aim is to develop a rapid, sensitive, inexpensive and non-invasive method for screening of patients early in the disease for risk of progression. The combined goal is to determine whether galectins 'hot spots' in breast biopsy samples are evidence of a predisposition to tumor progression, and whether serum glycoamine structures can provide new information leading towards development of synthetic glycoamine analogs as a non-toxic way of blocking tumor-promoting activities of galectins, such as the immunosuppression observed in breast cancer patients.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Since galectins are extracellular, they are more accessible to therapeutic intervention than genes and proteins inside of cancer cells. We believe that further investigations of biology of galectins and glycoamines are warranted to establish these molecules both as important clinical markers of breast cancer and as candidates for translational developments.