LGALS8

LGALS8, a member of the galectin family and encoded by the human LGALS8 gene, is a protein that binds to β-galactoside through a conserved carbohydrate recognition domain. This domain is involved in a range of fundamental biological processes, including development, differentiation, cell adhesion, cell-matrix interaction, growth regulation, apoptosis, and RNA splicing. LGALS8 has been shown to induce tumor immunosuppression, with evidence from animal models and clinical data indicating that it expands inhibitory immune cells like Tregs and MDSCs while reducing CD8+ cells, thereby regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Furthermore, LGALS8 is linked to lymph node metastasis and immunophenotype, with its expression levels being indicative of tumor prognosis and progression, highlighting its significant role in tumorigenesis.