Study Identifies Galectin-3's Role in Gastric Metaplasia Development Through Cathartocytosis
Researchers found that galectin-3, a protein upregulated in precancerous tissue changes, facilitates a cellular process called cathartocytosis that promotes the development of spasmolytic polypeptide expressing metaplasia (SPEM) in the stomach. Galectin-3 is abnormally expressed alongside sulfated mucins in high-risk precancerous conditions like Barrett's esophagus and intestinal metaplasia. The findings suggest galectin-3 may represent a therapeutic target for preventing progression from normal tissue to metaplastic and potentially cancerous states.
In a preprint study, researchers investigated the role of galectin-3, a lectin protein, in the development of gastric metaplasia—abnormal tissue transformation associated with cancer risk. Using a chemically-induced mouse model, they demonstrated that galectin-3 colocalizes with sulfated mucins in gastric chief cells and facilitates cathartocytosis, an unconventional cellular process involving the breakdown and secretion of vesicles. When galectin-3-mediated cathartocytosis was inhibited, the expression of Sox9, a key metaplasia-promoting transcription factor, and subsequent cell proliferation were delayed. The study reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which galectin-3 promotes the transition from normal tissue to metaplasia, and suggests that cathartocytosis may represent an alternative secretory pathway for galectins—resolving a longstanding controversy about how these proteins are secreted since they lack canonical secretion signals.
What's missing
The study's own limitations are not detailed in the abstract provided. Additionally, the clinical relevance and translational potential of these findings for human gastric cancer prevention or treatment remain to be established, as the work is based on murine models.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Galectin-3 is Necessary for Selective Cathartocytosis, which Expedites the Development of Proliferative Gastric SPEM
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