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Review
. 2025 Jul 4;26(13):6473.
doi: 10.3390/ijms26136473.

Inflammaging-Driven Osteoporosis: Is a Galectin-Targeted Approach Needed?

Marina Russo  1   2 , Caterina Claudia Lepre  3   4 , Annalisa Itro  5 , Gabriele Martin  5 , Gianluca Conza  5 , Maria Consiglia Trotta  4 , Monica Puticiu  6 , Anca Hermenean  6   7 , Francesca Gimigliano  5 , Michele D'Amico  4 , Giuseppe Toro  5
Affiliations
Review

Inflammaging-Driven Osteoporosis: Is a Galectin-Targeted Approach Needed?

Marina Russo et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Osteoporosis (OP) is a chronic disease characterized by reduced bone mass and altered microarchitecture, leading to bone fragility and fractures. Due to its high morbidity, disability, and healthcare costs, identifying new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies is crucial for improving OP diagnosis and prevention. In this context, this narrative review aims to depict the role of carbohydrate-binding proteins Galectins (Gals) in the combined processes of inflammation and aging contributing to bone fragility by exploring their potential as novel therapeutic targets for OP.

Keywords: Galectin-1 (Gal-1); Galectin-3 (Gal-3); Galectins (Gals); osteoporosis; osteoporotic fractures.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Healthy vs. osteoporotic bone, and risk factors associated with osteoporotic fracture. Created by Biorender.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Molecular mechanisms underlying Osteoporosis driven by inflammaging, post-menopausal syndrome, and use of glucocorticoids. BMSCs: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. +: increased; −: decreased. Created by Biorender.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Galectin types and their involvement in inflammaging-driven response. Gal-1: Galectin 1; Gal-2: Galectin 2; Gal-3: Galectin 3; Gal-4: Galectin 4; Gal-5: Galectin-5; Gal-6: Galectin 6; Gal-7: Galectin 7; Gal-8: Galectin 8; Gal-9: Galectin-9; Gal-10: Galectin 10; Gal-11: Galectin 11; Gal-12: Galectin 12; Gal-13: Galectin 13; Gal-14: Galectin 14; Gal-15: Galectin 15; Th2: T helper 2 lymphocytes; IgE: Immunoglobulin E; IL-4: Interleukin 4; IL-5: Interleukin 5; IL-6: Interleukin 6; IL-9: Interleukin 9; IL-13: Interleukin 13. +: increased. Created by Biorender.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Dysregulation of Galectin 1 (Gal-1) and Galectin 3 (Gal-3) during ageing and main actions precipitating OP. Note that there is controversial evidence regarding the role of Gal-1 and Gal-3 in MSC osteoblast differentiation, as reported in Table 1. MSC: mesenchymal stem cells. +: increased; −: decreased. Created by Biorender.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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