ABSTRACT

Metastasis Research Laboratory, Pathology B23, Sart Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

INTRODUCTION

Interactions of cancer cells with the glycoprotein laminin constitute key events during basement membrane crossing, cancer invasion and metastasis formation. A number of cell surface binding proteins including several members of the integrin family have been characterized as laminin-binding proteins. Recently, it appeared that the abundant poly-N-acetyllactosamine repeats on laminin can be recognized by lectins such as members of the galectin family. Some of these soluble lactose-specific lectins exhibit modulated expression in cancer cells, and several biological functions, related or not to their ability to bind laminin, have been described. In this chapter, we will review the current knowledge about galectins and their possible implication in cancer invasion and metastasis.