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The galectins are a family of beta-galactoside-binding proteins implicated in modulating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Galectin-1 is an autocrine negative growth factor that regulates cell proliferation. Galectin-1 regulates cell apoptosis and cell differentiation. Galectin-1 binds CD45, CD3 and CD4 & inhibits CD45 protein phosphatase activity and therefore the dephosphorylation of lyn kinase. Galectin-1 and its ligands are one of the master regulators of immune responses as T-cell homeostasis and survival, T-cell immune disorders, inflammation and allergies as well as host–pathogen interactions. Galectin-1 expression or overexpression in tumors and/or the tissue surrounding them must be considered as a sign of the malignant tumor progression that is often related to the long-range dissemination of tumoral cells (metastasis), to their dissemination into the surrounding normal tissue, and to tumor immune-escape. Galectin-1 in its oxidized form plays a number of important roles in the regeneration of the central nervous system after injury. The targeted overexpression (or delivery) of Galectin-1 should be considered as a method of choice for the treatment of some kinds of inflammation-related diseases, neurodegenerative pathologies and muscular dystrophies. In contrast, the targeted inhibition of Galectin-1 expression is what should be developed for therapeutic applications against cancer progression. Galectin-1 is thus a promising molecular target for the development of new and original therapeutic tools. There is 88% homology between the human and mouse galectin-1.

Proteins of the TFF family are characterized by obtaining a minimum of 1 copy of the trefoil motif, a 40-amino acid domain that contains 3 conserved disulfides. Trefoil Factors are stable secretory proteins expressed in gastrointestinal mucosa which protect the mucosa from insults, stabilize the mucus layer and affect healing of the epithelium.TFF2 inhibits gastric acid motility & secretion. TFF2 stabilizes glycoproteins in the mucus gel through interactions with carbohydrate side chains. TFF3 induces ciliogenesis and promotes airway epithelial ciliated cell differentiation, relatively through an epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent pathway. TFF3 overexpression is crucial for progression in mouse and human hepatocellular carcinogenesis. TFF-3 is normally expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and its expression associates with tumor grade.

IGFBP3 is a member of the IGFBP family and encodes a protein with an IGFBP domain and a thyroglobulin type-I domain. The protein forms a ternary complex with IGFALS and either IGF I or II. In this form, it circulates in the plasma, prolonging the half-life of IGFs and altering their interaction with cell surface receptors. Alternate transcriptional splice variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized.

Cleavage stimulation factor subunit 1 (CSTF1) is involved in the polyadenylation and 3'end cleavage of pre-mRNAs. The CSTF1 gene encodes one of three subunits which merge to produce cleavage stimulation factor (CSTF). Like the mammalian G protein beta subunits, CSTF1 contains transducin-like repeats. CSTF1 is one of the numerous factors necessary for polyadenylation and 3'-end cleavage of mammalian pre-mRNAs. CSTF1 is responsible for the interaction of CSTF with other factors to create a stable complex on the pre-mRNA.

LGALS2 is a soluble beta-galactoside binding lectin that controls cell-to-cell adhesion and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions and takes part in tumor progression, pre-mRNA splicing and apoptosis. LGALS2 induces apoptosis in activated T cells and binds to the cytokine lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) with threat of myocardial infarction.

Thrombopoietin is a glycoprotein hormone produced mainly by the liver and the kidney which regulates the production of platelets by the bone marrow. TPO stimulates the production as well as differentiation of megakaryocytes, the bone marrow cells which fragment into large numbers of platelets.

The Trefoil Factor peptides (TFF1, TFF2 and TFF3) are stable secretory proteins expressed in the gastrointestinal tract (gastric mucosa), and are involved in intestinal mucosal defense and repair. TFF1 is an essential protein for normal differentiation of the antral and pyloric gastric mucosa and functions as a gastric-specific tumor suppressor gene. TFF1 is a stabilizer of the mucous gel overlying the gastrointestinal mucosa that provides a physical barrier against various noxious agents. TFF1 protects the mucosa from isults, stabilizes the mucus layer, & affects healing of the epithelium. TFF1 is commonly expressed in tumors. TFF1 is related with the cell membrane of MCF-7 cells. High levels of TFF1 and TFF2 are found in serum from inflammatory bowel disease.

POU2AF1 is a lymphocyte specific transcription coactivator protein. POU2AF1 cooperates only with the Oct1/2 proteins using sub domains in the POU domain of the Oct1/2 proteins, increasing their transcriptional efficiency. Even though POU2AF1 have no basic ability to bind DNA, it links firmly with the octomer motif in the presence of Oct1 and Oct2. POU2AF1 is expressed at maximum levels in spleen and peripheral blood leukocytes.

Endothelial cells express three different vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, belonging to the family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). They are named VEGFR-1 (Flt-1), VEGFR-2 (KDR/Flk-1), VEGFR-3 (Flt-4). Their expression is almost exclusively restricted to endothelial cells, but VEGFR-1 can also be found on monocytes. All VEGF-receptors have seven immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains, a single transmembrane region and an intracellular split tyrosine kinase domain. VEGFR-2 has a lower affinity for VEGF than the Flt-1 receptor, but a higher signaling activity. Mitogenic activity in endothelial cells is mainly mediated by VEGFR-2 leading to their proliferation.
Differential splicing of the flt-1 gene leads to the formation of a secreted, soluble variant of VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1). No naturally occuring, secreted forms of VEGFR-2 have so far been reported. The binding of VEGF165 to VEGFR-2 is dependent on heparin.

Platelet factor-4 is a 70-amino acid protein that is released from the alpha-granules of activated platelets.PF4’s major physiologic role appears to be neutralization of molecules on the endothelial surface of blood vessels, thereby inhibiting local antithrombin III activity and promoting coagulation. As a strong chemoattractant for neutrophils and fibroblasts, PF4 probably has a role in inflammation and wound repair. Oncostatin-A is a member of the CXC chemokine family. Furthermore, it is used as an inhibitor in the angiogenesis during tumor therapy.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.

MIA2 performs as a tumour suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma. MIA2is a novel acute phase protein which its expression is found in the liver and reacts to liver damage in chronic liver diseases and is considerably higher in severe fibrosis patients . MIA2 is induced by IL6, TGF-B & and conditioned medium from activated hepatic stellate cells. MIA2 is is mainly expressed in hepatocytes.

The cytokine Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been identified to be secreted by the pituitary gland and the monocyte/macrophage and to play an important role in endotoxic shock. MIF has the unique property of being released from macrophages and T cells in response to physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids. The secretion of MIF is tightly regulated and decreases at high, anti-inflammatory steroid concentration.

CNTF is a polypeptide hormone whose actions appear to be restricted to the nervous system where it promotes neurotransmitter synthesis and neurite outgrowth in certain neuronal populations. The protein is a potent survival factor for neurons and oligodendrocytes and may be relevant in reducing tissue destruction during inflammatory attacks. A mutation in this gene, which results in aberrant splicing, leads to ciliary neurotrophic factor deficiency, but this phenotype is not causally related to neurologic disease. In addition to the predominant monocistronic transcript originating from this locus, the gene is also co-transcribed with the upstream ZFP91 gene. Co-transcription from the two loci results in a transcript that contains a complete coding region for the zinc finger protein but lacks a complete coding region for ciliary neurotrophic factor.
CNTF is a survival factor for various neuronal cell types. Seems to prevent the degeneration of motor axons after axotomy.

Basic fibroblast growth factor is a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. FGF family members possess broad mitogenic and cell survival activities, and are involved in a variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth, morphogenesis, tissue repair, tumor growth and invasion. This protein functions as a modifier of endothelial cell migration and proliferation, as well as an angiogenic factor. It acts as a mitogen for a variety of mesoderm- and neuroectoderm-derived cells in vitro, thus is thought to be involved in organogenesis. Three alternatively spliced variants encoding different isoforms have been described. The heparin-binding growth factors are angiogenic agents in vivo and are potent mitogens for a variety of cell types in vitro. There are differences in the tissue distribution and concentration of these 2 growth factors.

PEDF is a neurotrophic protein that induces extensive neuronal differentiation in retinoblastoma cells. SerpinF1 is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. EPC1 doesn’t undergo the stressed to relaxed conformation transition characteristic as of the active serpins since it exhibits no serine protease inhibitory activity.
Aqueous humour level of asymmetric dimethylarginine is correlated with PEDF in humans. ADMA and PEDF levels are increased in response to inflammation in uveitis.
Lack of PEDF expression is a potent factor for the enhancement of tumor growth and angiogenesis in breast cancer.
PEDF & VEGF genes contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy.
PEDF and VEGF structural changes in blood vessel wall play an important role in the pathophysiology of PD patients.
PEDF-overexpressing tumors exhibited reduced intratumoral angiogenesis.
SerpinF1 is a new promising approach for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Levels of the natural ocular anti-angiogenic factor SentrinF1 (PEDF) is associated with proliferative retinopathy.
VEGF secreted by retinal pigment epithelial cells upregulates PEDF expression via VEGFR-1 in an autocrine manner.
Sentrin-F1 concentration in the aqueous humor of diabetic patients predicts who will develop progression of retinopathy.
PEDF blocks angiogenic effects of leptin through its anti-oxidative properties.

Galectin-3 mediates with the alpha-3, beta-1 integrin the stimulation by cspg4 of endothelial cells migration. Galectin-3 plays an necessary part during the acquisition of vasculogenic mimicry and angiogenic properties associated with melanoma progression. LGALS3 overexpression is highly expressed in early stages of papillary carcinoma, and its expression intensity declines during tumor progression. Serum levels of LGALS3 are high in patients with thyroid malignancy but there is considerable overlap in serum LGALS3 concentrations between those with benign and malignant nodular thyroid disease. LGLAS3 takes part as an immune regulator to inhibit T-cell immune responses and promote tumor growth, as a result providing a new mechanism for tumor immune tolerance.

GMFG is a hematopoietic-specific protein that mediates the pluripotentiality and lineage commitment of human hematopoietic stem cells. Glia maturation factor gamma is a cytokine-responsive protein in EPO-induced and G-CSF-induced hematopoietic lineage development. Glia maturation factor also acts as a Nerve Growth Factor in nervous system development, angiogenesis and immune function. GMFG possesses hematopoietic tissue-specific gene expression, a promoter concentrated with high-score hematopoiesis-specific transcription factors, and molecular coevolution with a rudimentary blood/immune system.

This gene is a member of the EPO/TPO family and encodes a secreted, glycosylated cytokine composed of four alpha helical bundles. The protein is found in the plasma and regulates red cell production by promoting erythroid differentiation and initiating hemoglobin synthesis. This protein also has neuroprotective activity against a variety of potential brain injuries and antiapoptotic functions in several tissue types.