María Virginia Tribulatti, PhD in biotechnology and molecular biology and researcher at the Institute for Biotechnological Research (IIbio - UNSAM), gave a seminar for the members of the Center for Research in Bionanosciences (CIBION) on April 28.
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The scientist explained that Galectins are a family of proteins that are involved in many biological events. They have a very important role in processes linked to the regulation of the immune response. This is a family of lectins that have become an interesting target for the development of new drugs. “Our group has begun the study of the expression and function of Galectin-8 (Gal-8) both in the onset as in the effector phase of the immune response. In particular, Gal-8 has emerged as an immunostimulatory molecule with potential adjuvant activity in vaccine systems”, explained the researcher. It has a wide distribution in the body and is implicated in cancer.
Then, Tribulatti commented on some of the advances of her research team: “Our group has studied several of the mechanisms underlying the stimulatory role of Gal-8 in the development of the adaptive immune response. Thus, we described for the first time the capacity of this lectin to costimulate the primary antigen-specific response of T lymphocytes. We also reported an activating effect of Gal-8 on endogenous dendritic cells (DC), characterized by an increase in the expression of costimulatory molecules and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines.”
![](https://cibion.conicet.gov.ar/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/05/Web-3-300x169.jpg)
About the speaker
Tribulatti is an Independent Researcher at CONICET. She works at the Institute for Biotechnological Research, National University of San Martín (IIBio – UNSAM).
She is professor of molecular inmunology at the Institute of Biotechnological Research, National University of San Martín.