Carbohydrate structures on the cell surface encode complex information that through
specific recognition by carbohydrate-binding proteins (lectins) modulates interactions
between cells, cells and the extracellular matrix, or mediates recognition of potential
microbial pathogens. Galectins are a family of ß-galactoside-binding lectins, which are
evolutionary conserved and have been identified in most organisms, from fungi to
invertebrates and vertebrates, including mammals. Since their discovery in the 1970s, their …