伽莱丁是动物凝集素，通过保守的碳水化合物识别结构域与半乳糖关联。最近的研究表明，伽莱丁家族的成员在肿瘤进展中具有关键作用。伽莱丁的异常表达在多种癌症中促进了增殖、转移、上皮-间充质转化（EMT）、免疫抑制、放射抵抗和化疗抗性，引起了伽莱丁癌症治疗的积极关注。据报道，伽莱丁家族成员在生理条件下和非肿瘤性疾病中参与自噬调节，伽莱丁在癌症发生的多个过程中的意义也涉及到自噬的调节，然而，伽莱丁、自噬和癌症之间的关系仍然不清楚。在本综述中，我们介绍伽莱丁在分子水平上的结构和功能，总结其在自噬和癌症进展中的参与情况，以及强调伽莱丁在癌症中通过自噬的调节以及伽莱丁和自噬相关策略的治疗潜力。详细阐明伽莱丁调节自噬在癌症中的机制将加速开发以伽莱丁-自噬为靶点的癌症治疗。©2023年作者。

Galectins are animal lectins with specific affinity for galactosides via the conserved carbohydrate recognition domains. Increasing studies recently have identified critical roles of galectin family members in tumor progression. Abnormal expression of galectins contributes to the proliferation, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), immunosuppression, radio-resistance and chemoresistance in various cancers, which has attracted cumulative clinical interest in galectin-based cancer treatment. Galectin family members have been reported to participate in autophagy regulation under physiological conditions and in non-tumoral diseases, and implication of galectins in multiple processes of carcinogenesis also involves regulation of autophagy, however, the relationship between galectins, autophagy and cancer remains largely unclear. In this review, we introduce the structure and function of galectins at the molecular level, summarize their engagements in autophagy and cancer progression, and also highlight the regulation of autophagy by galectins in cancer as well as the therapeutic potentials of galectin and autophagy-based strategies. Elaborating on the mechanism of galectin-regulated autophagy in cancers will accelerate the exploitation of galectins-autophagy targeted therapies in treatment for cancer.© 2023. The Author(s).