 Dhanya K. Nambiar, PhD, Stanford University, discusses the detection of Galectin-1 for patients with head and neck cancer.

Galectin-1 can be detected in patient blood samples, Nambiar explains. Patients with head and neck cancer who are treated with radiation demonstrate higher levels of Galectin-1.

If one correlates the Galectin-1 level with the number of T cells in the blood, they are shown to decrease if the patient has received radiation.

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Dhanya K. Nambiar, PhD, Stanford University, discusses the detection of Galectin-1 for patients with head and neck cancer.

The Detection of Galectin-1 in Head and Neck Cancer

Dhanya K. Nambiar, PhD, Stanford University, explains the rationale behind targeting Galectin-1 (Gal-1) in head and neck cancer.

Tumors of the head and neck are very hypoxic, Nambiar says, and Gal-1 is one of the hypoxia-responsive genes, meaning it gets induced during hypoxia.

Additonally, Nambiar says that T-cell responses in tumors are very much limited when they have higher levels of Gal-1.

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Rationale for Targeting Galectin-1 in Head and Neck Cancer

Dhanya K. Nambiar, PhD, Stanford University, discusses the next steps with targeting galectin-1 with radiation therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with head and neck cancer.

One of the next steps is to determine why some patients do not respond to these drugs, explains Nambiar. Having a better understanding of who is going to benefit from the treatment will improve the design of clinical trials and the treatment plan.

The idea is that this protein can predict clinical responses to immunotherapeutic agents. This has been validated in preclinical trials but the goal is to expand it to other cancers as well, states Nambiar.

Dr. Nambiar on Next Steps with Galectin-1 for Head and Neck Cancer

Dhanya K. Nambiar, PhD, Stanford University, discusses targeting galectin-1 with radiation therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors in head and neck cancer.

Galectin-1 is a carbohydrate binding protein that contributes to tumor-immune escape and disease progression. The tumors use galectin-1 as a barrier, which stops the immune response, says Nambiar.

Targeting galectin-1 and inhibiting it may allow for immune agents to infiltrate the tumor.

Dhanya K. Nambiar, PhD

Articles

The Detection of Galectin-1 in Head and Neck Cancer

Rationale for Targeting Galectin-1 in Head and Neck Cancer

Dr. Nambiar on Next Steps with Galectin-1 for Head and Neck Cancer

Targeting Galectin-1 With Radiation and Immune Checkpoints in Head and Neck Cancer