Evaluating Therapeutic Activity of Galectin-1 in Sarcolemma Repair of Skeletal Muscle.

Galectin-1 is a small (14.5 kDa) multifunctional protein with cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion due to interactions with the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). In two types of muscular dystrophies, this lectin protein has shown therapeutic properties, including positive regulation of skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration. Both Duchenne and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2B (LGMD2B) are subtypes of muscular dystrophies characterized by deficient membrane repair, muscle weakness, and eventual loss of ambulation. This chapter explains confocal techniques such as laser injury, calcium imaging, and galectin-1 localization to examine the effects of galectin-1 on membrane repair in injured LGMD2B models.