Galectin-3, a member of the
beta-galactoside-binding gene family, is a multifunctional
protein implicated in a variety of
biological functions, including
tumor cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis,
cancer progression and
metastasis. Recent studies revealed that intracellular
galectin-3 exhibits the activity to suppress
drug induced apoptosis and anoikis (apoptosis induced by the loss of cell anchorage) that contribute to cell survival. Resistance to apoptosis is essential for
cancer cell survival and plays a role in
tumor progression. Conversely, it was recently shown that
tumor cells' secreted
galectin-3 induces T-cells' apoptosis, thus playing a role in the immune escape mechanism during
tumor progression through induction of apoptosis of
cancer-infiltrating T-cells. This review summarizes recent evidences on the role of
galectin-3 as an anti-apoptotic and/or pro-apoptotic factor in various cell types and discusses the recent understanding of the molecular mechanisms of
galectin-3 role in apoptosis. We also suggest potential directions for further analyses of this multifunctional
protein.