An increasing body of evidence indicates that Gal-1 has immunoregulatory functions in autoimmune disease models including systemic lupus erythematosus33, lysolecithin-induced demyelination34 and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)35 through mechanisms like selective induction of Th1 and Th17 cell apoptosis, inhibition of T cell trafficking, expansion of tolerogenic dendritic cells and regulatory T cells. The gene discussed is LGALS1; the disease is autoimmune disease.