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Targeting galectin-driven regulatory circuits in cancer and fibrosis. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:295-316. [PMID: 36759557 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00636-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Galectins are a family of endogenous glycan-binding proteins that have crucial roles in a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. As a group, these proteins use both extracellular and intracellular mechanisms as well as glycan-dependent and independent pathways to reprogramme the fate and function of numerous cell types. Given their multifunctional roles in both tissue fibrosis and cancer, galectins have been identified as potential therapeutic targets for these disorders. Here, we focus on the therapeutic relevance of galectins, particularly galectin 1 (GAL1), GAL3 and GAL9 to tumour progression and fibrotic diseases. We consider an array of galectin-targeted strategies, including small-molecule carbohydrate inhibitors, natural polysaccharides and their derivatives, peptides, peptidomimetics and biological agents (notably, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and truncated galectins) and discuss their mechanisms of action, selectivity and therapeutic potential in preclinical models of fibrosis and cancer. We also review the results of clinical trials that aim to evaluate the efficacy of galectin inhibitors in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and cancer. The rapid pace of glycobiology research, combined with the acute need for drugs to alleviate fibrotic inflammation and overcome resistance to anticancer therapies, will accelerate the translation of anti-galectin therapeutics into clinical practice.
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Laderach DJ, Compagno D. Inhibition of galectins in cancer: Biological challenges for their clinical application. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1104625. [PMID: 36703969 PMCID: PMC9872792 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1104625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Galectins play relevant roles in tumor development, progression and metastasis. Accordingly, galectins are certainly enticing targets for medical intervention in cancer. To date, however, clinical trials based on galectin inhibitors reported inconclusive results. This review summarizes the galectin inhibitors currently being evaluated and discusses some of the biological challenges that need to be addressed to improve these strategies for the benefit of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego José Laderach
- Molecular and Functional Glyco-Oncology Laboratory, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facutad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Argentina,*Correspondence: Diego José Laderach,
| | - Daniel Compagno
- Molecular and Functional Glyco-Oncology Laboratory, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facutad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Yong C, Li Y, Bi T, Chen G, Zheng D, Wang Z, Zhang Y. Research Progress on the Synthesis and Activity of D-Galactose Derived Small Galectin Inhibitors. CHINESE J ORG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.6023/cjoc202110036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dubé-Delarosbil C, St-Pierre Y. The emerging role of galectins in high-fatality cancers. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:1215-1226. [PMID: 29119229 PMCID: PMC11105754 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2708-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although we witnessed considerable progress in the prevention and treatment of cancer during the past few decades, a number of cancers remain difficult to treat. The main reasons for this are a lack of effective biomarkers necessary for an early detection and inefficient treatments for cancer that are diagnosed at late stages of the disease. Because of their alarmin-like properties and their protumorigenic role during cancer progression, members of the galectin family are uniquely positioned to provide information that could be used for the exploration of possible avenues for the treatment of high fatality cancer (HFC). A rapid overview of studies that examined the expressions and functions of galectins in cancer cells reveals that they play a central role in at least three major features that characterize HFCs: (1) induction of systemic and local immunosuppression, (2) chemoresistance of cancer cells, and (3) increased invasive behavior. Defining the galectinome in HFCs will also lead to a better understanding of tumor heterogeneity while providing critical information that could improve the accuracy of biomarker panels for a more personalized treatment of HFCs. In this review, we discuss the relevance of the galectinome in HFC and its possible contribution to providing potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yves St-Pierre
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada.
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Mandal S, Rajput VK, Sundin AP, Leffler H, Mukhopadhyay B, Nilsson UJ. Galactose-amidine derivatives as selective antagonists of galectin-9. CAN J CHEM 2016. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2015-0598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The family of galectin proteins involved in adhesion, growth regulation, immunity, and inflammatory events are important targets for development of small molecule antagonists. Here, N-sulfonyl amidine galactopyranoside derivatives obtained via a multicomponent reaction between galactose alkyne derivatives, sulfonyl azides, and amines were evaluated as antagonists of galectin-1, -2, -3, -4N (N-terminal domain), -4C (C-terminal domain), -8N, -9N, and -9C in a competitive fluorescence polarization assay. Highly selective compounds against galectin-9N with up to 30-fold improved affinity compared to the reference methyl β-d-galactopyranoside were identified. Molecular dynamics simulation suggested that the selectivity and affinity for galectin-9N originate from the N-sulfonyl amidine moieties forming tridentate hydrogen bonds to two asparagine side chains and one phenyl stacking edge-to-face to an arginine side chain. These selective galectin-9N antagonists are of significant value as chemical tools for studying galectin-9 biology and chemistry as well as possible starting structures for the discovery of galectin-9-targeting drugs influencing, e.g., immune regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santanu Mandal
- Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, POB124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia 741252, India
| | - Vishal K. Rajput
- Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, POB124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia 741252, India
| | - Anders P. Sundin
- Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, POB124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hakon Leffler
- Section MIG, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, BMC-C1228b, Klinikgatan 28, SE-221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Balaram Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia 741252, India
| | - Ulf J. Nilsson
- Centre for Analysis and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, POB124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
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Cagnoni AJ, Pérez Sáez JM, Rabinovich GA, Mariño KV. Turning-Off Signaling by Siglecs, Selectins, and Galectins: Chemical Inhibition of Glycan-Dependent Interactions in Cancer. Front Oncol 2016; 6:109. [PMID: 27242953 PMCID: PMC4865499 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2016.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant glycosylation, a common feature associated with malignancy, has been implicated in important events during cancer progression. Our understanding of the role of glycans in cancer has grown exponentially in the last few years, concurrent with important advances in glycomics and glycoproteomic technologies, paving the way for the validation of a number of glycan structures as potential glycobiomarkers. However, the molecular bases underlying cancer-associated glycan modifications are still far from understood. Glycans exhibit a natural heterogeneity, crucial for their diverse functional roles as specific carriers of biologically relevant information. This information is decoded by families of proteins named lectins, including sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin (Ig)-like lectins (siglecs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), and galectins. Siglecs are primarily expressed on the surface of immune cells and differentially control innate and adaptive immune responses. Among CLRs, selectins are a family of cell adhesion molecules that mediate interactions between cancer cells and platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells, thus facilitating tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Galectins, a family of soluble proteins that bind β-galactoside-containing glycans, have been implicated in diverse events associated with cancer biology such as apoptosis, homotypic cell aggregation, angiogenesis, cell migration, and tumor-immune escape. Consequently, individual members of these lectin families have become promising targets for the design of novel anticancer therapies. During the past decade, a number of inhibitors of lectin–glycan interactions have been developed including small-molecule inhibitors, multivalent saccharide ligands, and more recently peptides and peptidomimetics have offered alternatives for tackling tumor progression. In this article, we review the current status of the discovery and development of chemical lectin inhibitors and discuss novel strategies to limit cancer progression by targeting lectin–glycan interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro J Cagnoni
- Laboratorio de Glicómica Funcional y Molecular, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan M Pérez Sáez
- Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Gabriel A Rabinovich
- Laboratorio de Inmunopatología, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina V Mariño
- Laboratorio de Glicómica Funcional y Molecular, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
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Multivalent Carbohydrate-Lectin Interactions: How Synthetic Chemistry Enables Insights into Nanometric Recognition. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21050629. [PMID: 27187342 PMCID: PMC6274006 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21050629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycan recognition by sugar receptors (lectins) is intimately involved in many aspects of cell physiology. However, the factors explaining the exquisite selectivity of their functional pairing are not yet fully understood. Studies toward this aim will also help appraise the potential for lectin-directed drug design. With the network of adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins as therapeutic targets, the strategy to recruit synthetic chemistry to systematically elucidate structure-activity relationships is outlined, from monovalent compounds to glyco-clusters and glycodendrimers to biomimetic surfaces. The versatility of the synthetic procedures enables to take examining structural and spatial parameters, alone and in combination, to its limits, for example with the aim to produce inhibitors for distinct galectin(s) that exhibit minimal reactivity to other members of this group. Shaping spatial architectures similar to glycoconjugate aggregates, microdomains or vesicles provides attractive tools to disclose the often still hidden significance of nanometric aspects of the different modes of lectin design (sequence divergence at the lectin site, differences of spatial type of lectin-site presentation). Of note, testing the effectors alone or in combination simulating (patho)physiological conditions, is sure to bring about new insights into the cooperation between lectins and the regulation of their activity.
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Fernández-Tejada A, Cañada FJ, Jiménez-Barbero J. Recent Developments in Synthetic Carbohydrate-Based Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Therapeutics. Chemistry 2015; 21:10616-28. [PMID: 26095198 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201500831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Glycans are everywhere in biological systems, being involved in many cellular events with important implications for medical purposes. Building upon a detailed understanding of the functional roles of carbohydrates in molecular recognition processes and disease states, glycans are increasingly being considered as key players in pharmacological research. On the basis of the important progress recently made in glycochemistry, glycobiology, and glycomedicine, we provide a complete overview of successful applications and future perspectives of carbohydrates in the biopharmaceutical and medical fields. This review highlights the development of carbohydrate-based diagnostics, exemplified by glycan imaging techniques and microarray platforms, synthetic oligosaccharide vaccines against infectious diseases (e.g., HIV) and cancer, and finally carbohydrate-derived therapeutics, including glycomimetic drugs and glycoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - F Javier Cañada
- Chemical and Physical Biology, CIB-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid (Spain)
| | - Jesús Jiménez-Barbero
- Infectious Disease Programme, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences, CIC-bioGUNE, Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio (Spain). .,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, María López de Haro 13, 48009 Bilbao (Spain).
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Rauthu SR, Shiao TC, André S, Miller MC, Madej É, Mayo KH, Gabius HJ, Roy R. Defining the Potential of Aglycone Modifications for Affinity/Selectivity Enhancement against Medically Relevant Lectins: Synthesis, Activity Screening, and HSQC-Based NMR Analysis. Chembiochem 2014; 16:126-39. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201402474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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