University of Liverpool

Overview
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<h1 id="background">Background</h1>
Galectin-3 is a galactoside-binding protein which is over expressed by many common types of cancer as a multiple-mode promoter in cancer development, progression and metastasis. It is also a promoter of tissue fibrosis, causing liver/lung fibrosis and heart failure. Recent evidence indicates additional involvement in the development of type II diabetes.
Several galectin-3 binding inhibitors are under clinical trials (Phase 1~II) in cancer and tissue fibrosis. Most of these inhibitors are carbohydrate-based (a few are peptide-based) hence have short half-life in the body. Totally synthetic, small molecular weight, non-carbohydrate galectin-3 inhibitors currently do not exist. Synthetic and potent galectin-3 inhibitors are well sought after in these disease areas.
<h1 id="technology-overview">Technology Overview</h1>
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have discovered two small molecular weight synthetic compounds, K2 and L2, as strong galectin-3 binding inhibitors. These compounds, in particular K2, strongly inhibit galectin-3-mediated tumour cell adhesion, invasion (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/kXIJElUPQw6ynngums8i_lpool_fig1.JPG" alt="Figure 1" />), angiogenesis (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/5DiLRCfScKWxY93qaF2e_lpool_fig2.JPG" alt="Figure 2" />) and inhibit tumour growth and metastasis (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/XuOx76X7RwYkGwVgyLlg_lpool_fig3.JPG" alt="Figure 3" />).
<h1 id="applications">Applications</h1>
These novel compound inhibitors have great potential to be developed as galectin-3-targeted therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. They likely also have therapeutic potentials in a few other disease areas where galectin-3 is heavily involved such as in tissue fibrosis, heart failure and diabetes.