The Cover

Orthotopic breast cancer xenograft imaged with green fluorescent protein in nude mouse treated with truncated galectin-3 (galectin-3C). The mammalian lectin galectin-3 has been suggested to promote cancer by stimulation of cell adhesion and inhibition of apoptosis reulting in increased tumor growth and metastasis. Galectin-3C,

a fragment of galectin-3 retaining its carbohydrate binding activity but lacking the cross linking ability and thereby possibly acting as a dominant negative inhibitor, reduced tumor growth and metastasis and showed no toxic side effects. For details, see C.M. John et al., in this issue.