In contrast, galectin-8 deficiency not only ameliorated corneal opacity (Fig. 3c) but also reduced corneal lymphangiogenesis (Fig. 3d), suggesting that galectin-8 is involved in the pathogenesis of HSV keratitis, at least partly, by regulating pathological lymphangiogenesis. Here, LGALS8 is linked to herpes simplex virus keratitis.