Growing evidence suggests that galectins, an evolutionarily conserved family of glycan-binding proteins, fulfill key roles in pregnancy including blastocyst implantation, maternal-fetal immune tolerance, placental development, and maternal vascular expansion, thereby establishing a healthy environment for the growing fetus. In this review, we comprehensively present the function of galectins in shaping cellular circuits that characterize a healthy pregnancy. We describe the current understanding of galectins in term and preterm labor and discuss how the galectin-glycan circuits contribute to key immunological pathways sustaining maternal tolerance and preventing microbial infections. A deeper understanding of the glycoimmune pathways regulating early events in preterm birth could offer the broader translational potential for the treatment of this devastating syndrome.

越来越多的证据表明，半乳糖凝集素是一种进化上保守的聚糖结合蛋白家族，在妊娠中起着关键作用，包括胚泡着床，母胎免疫耐受，胎盘发育和母体血管扩张，从而为成长中的胎儿建立了健康的环境。在这篇综述中，我们全面介绍了半乳凝素在塑造表征健康怀孕的细胞回路中的功能。我们描述了目前在足月和早产中对半乳凝集素的理解，并讨论了半乳凝素-聚糖回路如何有助于维持母体耐受性和预防微生物感染的关键免疫途径。