Administration of exogenous Gal-3 to alveolar macrophages from BAL, cultivated in vitro and obtained from patients affected by COPD, caused an increase in efferocytosis, the process by which dying/dead cells (e.g., apoptotic or necrotic) are removed by phagocytic cells, thus indicating a possible role of Gal-3 as a novel macrophage-targeted therapies for COPD/Emphysema [194]. The gene discussed is LGALS3; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.