Galectin-14 expression in ovarian cancer

AbstractGalectins (gal) are multifunctional proteins whose expression changes under different physiological or pathological conditions, including cancer. However, so far, most studies have focused on gal-1 and gal-3, and to a lesser extent to gal-7 and gal-9. We still know very little about other galectins, especially the recently discovered ones, such as gal-14, a prototype galectin highly expressed at the maternal-fetal interface. Here, usingin silicoandin vitroapproaches, we report a correlation betweenlgals14expression and ovarian cancer. We found that high expression of gal-14 mRNA in ovarian cancer cells is associated with a shorter survival. Consistent with this observation, we also found thatlgals14is preferentially expressed in high grade serous adenocarcinoma (HGSA) ovarian cancer. Ourin vitrodata with ovarian cancer cell lines confirmed thatlgals14is readily expressed in HGSA. Interestingly,de novoexpression of gal-14 in HEK-293 cells increased apoptosis, both at the basal level and following exposure to low doses of etoposide. Thus, although the study of this galectin is still in its infancy, we were able to provide novel insights into the expression patterns of this galectin and its involvement in cancer.