The Myofibroblast - from the pathologist´s microscope to the nanomaterials development

The lectins are proteins or glykoproteins specifically recognizing carbohydrate motifs on the cell surfaces. They are widely distributed from viruses to humans. The lectins present in latter are called endogenous lectins. Galectins are members of endogenous lectin family. Galectins are multifunctional lectins participating in cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions as well as in immune recognition. Galectins influence regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis and pre-mRNA splicing.

Adhesion/growth-regulatory tissue lectin galectin-1 in relation to angiogenesis/lymphocyte infiltration and prognostic relevance of stromal up-regulation in laryngeal carcinomas. Very strong accumulation of galectin-1 was described by us in wounded skin, in dermis of psoriatic plaques and in stroma of basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck region.

It is known, that malignant tumors share many structural and molecular features with healing wounds. Very general feature of either wounded skin or tumor stroma respectively are myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts produce extracellular matrix and numerous soluble bioactive molecules supporting wound contraction and healing as well as tumor spreading respectively.

The presented invention is based on the surprising observation that some galectins induce fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and therefrom arising three-dimensional nanofibrous extracellular matrix scaffolds. We claim that the object of the invention is utilization of at least one recombinant mammalian, with special advantage human, selected galectin (selected galectins are galectin-1, galectin-3, galectin-4 or galectin-7, respectively) as inductors of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts transition and/or production of extracellular matrix nanofibers along. The three-dimensional extracellular matrix scaffold is suitable for purposes of cell cultivation. These nanofibrous matrices can be used for basic research, biotechnological purposes or for therapeutically purposes during the transplantation in cell and tissue therapy. For example the nanofibrous scaffolds colonized by keratinocytes can be used as wound and ulcer dressing facilitating the healing process of.