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Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1389-2010
ISSN (Online): 1873-4316

Glycobiology in Malignant Gliomas: Expression and Functions of Galectins and Possible Therapeutic Options

Author(s): Herwig M. Strik, Malgorzata Kolodziej, Wolfgang Oertel and Jorg Basecke

Volume 13, Issue 11, 2012

Page: [2299 - 2307] Pages: 9

DOI: 10.2174/138920112802502051

Price: $65

Abstract

Malignant gliomas, the most common malignant primary brain tumors, have a deleterious clinical prognosis of approximately 12 months in unselected series. The resistance against antineoplastic therapy is apparently not only associated with a high proliferative potential, marked antiapoptotic resistance and high migratory capacity. Effective mechanisms to escape the immune response of the organism and an intense neoangiogenesis also contribute to the aggressive growth of these neoplasms. In addition to a number of molecular mechanisms, the group of glycohydrate-binding galectins seems to contribute to the aggressive growth of malignant gliomas. Galectin-1, -3, -4 and -8 have been shown to be overexpressed in malignant gliomas. Galectin-1 is known to be involved in glioma cell migration and possibly also in proliferation. In this review, various aspects of glioma biology and their therapeutic relevance is discussed. The role of galectins in apoptosis-resistance, immune response and angiogenesis is discussed and explained why these molecules are interesting targets of glioma therapy.

Keywords: Galectin, glioma, glioblastoma, therapy, angiogenesis, apoptosis, immune response, brain tumors, antineoplastic therapy, antiapoptotic resistance, apoptosis-resistance, glioma therapy

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