Seville [Spain], May 3 : A research group at the University of Seville's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has achieved great progress by identifying the critical role of the protein Galectin-3 in the progression of several forms of brain tumours.
The most prevalent immune system cells in malignant tumours, microglia and macrophages, overexpress Galectin-3, creating an immunosuppressive environment that prevents other immune cells from attacking cancer cells.
In vitro findings have shown that specific inhibition of Galectin-3 in microglial cells promotes expression of proinflammatory markers and reverses the presence of key immunosuppressive biomarkers. In vivo models of brain metastases of breast cancer and glioblastoma, two of the most common and aggressive types of brain tumours in the population, have validated these results. In genetically-modified models where Galectin-3 was knocked out, microglia cells and macrophages displayed a more inflammatory and anti-tumour state, leading to a reduction in the size of primary tumours and brain metastases by up to fivefold.
These results, although preclinical, have clear translational potential. Thanks to collaborations with Lund University, the research group has access to the TD006 antibody, a selective inhibitor of Galectin-3 currently being tested in clinical trials in Alzheimer's patients. The team is currently working to improve Galectin-3 inhibitors so that they can improve their efficiency in reaching brain tumours, as well as researching their use in combination with other conventional therapies such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
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