Similarly, in vivo studies relying on animal models of atherosclerosis using lesion initiation and size as primary end points have supported both pro- and antiatherosclerotic roles for galectin-3.14,16,17 However, plaque composition and phenotype were not directly assessed in the aforementioned studies, and, therefore, the role of galectin-3 in plaque composition rather than size remains uncertain. Here, LGALS3 is linked to atherosclerosis.