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Introduction to galectins

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Abstract

Good evidence suggest roles of galectins in cancer, immunity and inflammation, and development, but a unifying picture of their biological function is lacking. Instead galectins appear to have a particularly diverse, bewildering but intriguing array of activities both inside and outside cells—“clear truths and mysteries are inextricably twined”. Fortunately this has not discouraged but rather enthused a large number of good galectin researchers, some of which have contributed to this special issue of Glycoconjugate Journal to provide a personal, critical status of the field. Here we will give a brief introduction to the galectins as a protein family with some comments on nomenclature. Published in 2004.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section MIG (Microbiology, Immunology, Glycobiology), Inst. Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Sweden

    Hakon Leffler, Susanne Carlsson, Maria Hedlund & Yuning Qian

  2. Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France

    Francoise Poirier

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  1. Hakon Leffler
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  2. Susanne Carlsson
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  3. Maria Hedlund
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  4. Yuning Qian
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  5. Francoise Poirier
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Correspondence to Hakon Leffler.

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Leffler, H., Carlsson, S., Hedlund, M. et al. Introduction to galectins. Glycoconj J 19, 433–440 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:GLYC.0000014072.34840.04

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