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Ten Felzi

Bio: Ten Felzi is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Galectin & Galectin-8. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 1057 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is time for the diverse functional roles of glycans to be fully incorporated into the mainstream of biological sciences, as they are no different from other major macromolecular building blocks of life, simply more rapidly evolving and complex.
Abstract: Simple and complex carbohydrates (glycans) have long been known to play major metabolic, structural and physical roles in biological systems. Targeted microbial binding to host glycans has also been studied for decades. But such biological roles can only explain some of the remarkable complexity and organismal diversity of glycans in nature. Reviewing the subject about two decades ago, one could find very few clear-cut instances of glycan-recognition-specific biological roles of glycans that were of intrinsic value to the organism expressing them. In striking contrast there is now a profusion of examples, such that this updated review cannot be comprehensive. Instead, a historical overview is presented, broad principles outlined and a few examples cited, representing diverse types of roles, mediated by various glycan classes, in different evolutionary lineages. What remains unchanged is the fact that while all theories regarding biological roles of glycans are supported by compelling evidence, exceptions to each can be found. In retrospect, this is not surprising. Complex and diverse glycans appear to be ubiquitous to all cells in nature, and essential to all life forms. Thus, >3 billion years of evolution consistently generated organisms that use these molecules for many key biological roles, even while sometimes coopting them for minor functions. In this respect, glycans are no different from other major macromolecular building blocks of life (nucleic acids, proteins and lipids), simply more rapidly evolving and complex. It is time for the diverse functional roles of glycans to be fully incorporated into the mainstream of biological sciences.

1,588 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Current research indicates that galectins have important roles in cancer; they contribute to neoplastic transformation, tumour cell survival, angiogenesis and tumour metastasis, and might have a key role helping tumours to escape immune surveillance.
Abstract: Galectins are a family of animal lectins with diverse biological activities. They function both extracellularly, by interacting with cell-surface and extracellular matrix glycoproteins and glycolipids, and intracellularly, by interacting with cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins to modulate signalling pathways. Current research indicates that galectins have important roles in cancer; they contribute to neoplastic transformation, tumour cell survival, angiogenesis and tumour metastasis. They can modulate the immune and inflammatory responses and might have a key role helping tumours to escape immune surveillance. How do the different members of the Galectin family contribute to these diverse aspects of tumour biology?

1,335 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
14 Dec 1995-Nature
TL;DR: Galectin-1 induced apoptosis of activated human T cells and human T leukaemia cell lines and represents a new mechanism for regulating the immune response.
Abstract: Galectin-1, a member of the family of beta-galactoside binding proteins, has growth regulatory and immunomodulatory activities. We report here that galectin-1, expressed by stromal cells in human thymus and lymph nodes, is present at sites of cell death by apoptosis during normal T-cell development and maturation. Galectin-1 induced apoptosis of activated human T cells and human T leukaemia cell lines. Resting T cells also bound galectin-1, but did not undergo apoptosis. Human endothelial cells that expressed galectin-1 induced apoptosis of bound T cells. Galectin-1-induced apoptosis required expression of CD45, and was decreased when N-glycan elongation was blocked by treatment of the cells by swainsonine, whereas inhibition of O-glycan elongation potentiated the apoptotic effect of galectin-1. Induction of apoptosis by an endogenous mammalian lectin represents a new mechanism for regulating the immune response.

1,028 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Through specific interactions with a variety of intra- and extracellular proteins galectin-3 affects numerous biological processes and seems to be involved in different physiological and pathophysiological conditions, such as development, immune reactions, and neoplastic transformation and metastasis.

1,003 citations