LGALS3 and renal fibrosis: Galectin-3 affects numerous biological processes and has been suggested to play either beneficial or detrimental roles in several chronic diseases: amelioration of microbial infection (9, 33) and kidney function (40); exacerbation of atherosclerosis (35, 36), lung and renal fibrosis (14, 37), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (16, 38), and cancers (17, 39).