Emerging Role of Galectins as Molecular Targets for Cancer Therapy: A Review

@#In recent decades cancer incidences and mortality rates have increased. Although there is significant progress in identifying the root causes and emerging therapies, there are many molecular, cellular mechanism’s unrevealed and current treatments have yet to deliver on their promises. Common characteristics of cancer that are controlled by various mechanisms, including those involving glycosylation-dependent proliferative signalling, the ability of tumor cells and their microenvironment to sustain proliferative signalling, enhancing the replicative immortality, evading the effects of growth suppressors, resisting apoptosis, sustaining invasion and metastasis, stimulation of angiogenesis and triggering immune response are few to name. An evolutionarily conserved family of glycan-binding proteins known as galectins has a significant impact in controlling these cascades. Galectins belong to animal lectin family that function by interacting with matrix glyco-proteins on extracellular surface and also with nuclear proteins modulating the cell signalling cascades intracellularly. In this review, we analyse how galectins influence the cellular pathways that control tumor activity, providing relevant examples and highlighting their therapeutic perspective in the fight against cancer.

Berardinelli-seip congenital generalised lipodystrophy

Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy [BSCL] syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by dysregulation of glycemic and lipid metabolism. We report five BSCL cases with typical clinical pictures and complications. These, to the best of our knowledge, represent the first case series from Pakistan. BSCL is characterized by marked atrophy of adipose tissue, acromegaly, acanthosis nigricans and tall stature. We could not perform genetics studies in any patient owing to non-availability of genetic laboratory in Pakistan. All the cases presented hypertriglyceridemia. One case developed hyperinsulinism controlled with metformin. There is no curative treatment and the current approach is low-fat diet and management of insulin resistance and diabetes. Recently published studies showed that leptin-replacement therapy is promising in the metabolic correction of complications of BSCL. This highlights the importance of further research in BSCL treatment