Galectins are carbohydrate binding proteins with high affinity to ß-galactoside containing glycoconjugates. Understanding of the functions of galectins has grown steadily over the past decade, as a result of substantial advancements in the field of glycobiology. Galectins have been shown to be versatile molecules that participate in a range of important biological systems, including inflammation, neovascularisation and fibrosis. These processes are of particular importance in ocular tissues, where a major theme of recent research has been to divert diseases away from pathways which result in loss of function into pathways of repair and regeneration. This review summarises our current understanding of galectins in the context important ocular diseases, followed by an update on current clinical studies and future directions.

半乳糖凝集素是碳水化合物结合蛋白，与含有 β-半乳糖苷的糖复合物具有高亲和力。过去十年，由于糖生物学领域的重大进步，对半乳糖凝集素功能的了解稳步增长。半乳糖凝集素已被证明是一种多功能分子，参与一系列重要的生物系统，包括炎症、新生血管形成和纤维化。这些过程在眼组织中特别重要，最近研究的一个主题是将疾病从导致功能丧失的途径转移到修复和再生途径。这篇综述总结了我们目前对半乳糖凝集素在重要眼部疾病中的理解，随后更新了当前临床研究和未来方向。