LGALS1 and neoplasm: However, an increasing number of studies have indicated the inconsistent biological functions of galectin-1 in intracellular and extracellular compartments on tumor cells (i.e., extracellular galectin-1 induces anti-proliferative effects via the Ras/MAPK pathway, whereas intracellular galectin-1 exhibits the ability to promote tumor transformation) [65].