RESUMEN Galectina-9 pertenece a la familia de las galectinas que tienen la capacidad de unir β-galactósidos presentes en glicoproteínas y glicolípidos, a través de sus dos dominios de reconocimiento a carbohidratos. La galectina-9 puede ejercer sus funciones a nivel extracelular e intracelular. A nivel extracelular participa mediando la interacción entre proteínas de membrana de superficie celular con componentes de la matriz extracelular. La proteína se expresa en distintos tipos celulares como en hígado, intestino delgado, timo, riñón, bazo, pulmón, músculo esquelético, músculo cardiaco, cerebro, placenta, páncreas, próstata y colon. En diversos tipos de cáncer, como carcinoma hepatocelular, cáncer de próstata, de mama, cervicouterino, de piel, oral, de páncreas, de ovario, gástrico y hematológicos la expresión del ARNm de galectina-9 y de la proteína está alterada. En algunos casos, dichos cambios de expresión están asociados a grados de la enfermedad, supervivencia y respuesta a tratamiento. El estudio de la función de galectina-9 a través de modelos in vitro e in vivo han permitido conocer que la proteína participa en la apoptosis de células cancerosas, promoción de la adhesión celular e inhibición de la metástasis sugiriendo, en la mayoría de los casos, un efecto protector contra el cáncer. ABSTRACT Galectin-9 belongs to the galectins family that have the ability to bind β-galactosides present in glycoproteins and glycolipids, through their carbohydrate recognition domains. Galectin-9 can perform its functions at the extracellular and intracellular level. At the extracellular level, it participates by mediating the interaction between cell surface membrane proteins with components of the extracellular matrix. The protein is expressed in different cell types such as liver, small intestine, thymus, kidney, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, heart muscle, brain, placenta, pancreas, prostate and colon. In several types of cancer, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate, breast, cervical, skin, oral, pancreas, ovarian, gastric and hematological cancers, the expression of galectin-9 mRNA and protein is altered. In some cases, these changes in expression are associated with degrees of disease, survival, and response to treatment. The study of the function of galectin-9 through in vitro and in vivo models have revealed that the protein participates in apoptosis of cancer cells, promotion of cell adhesion and inhibition of metastasis, suggesting, in most cases, a protective effect against cancer., {"references":["Taylor ME, Drickamer K, Schnaar RL, Etzler ME, Varki A. Discovery and Classification of Glycan- Binding Proteins. In: Varki A, Cummings RD, Esko JD, et al. 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