LGALS3 and cancer: Intracellular Gal3 can also promote tumor progression by inhibiting apoptosis of cancer cells through various mechanisms [7], such as when Cytoplasmic Gal3 binds the Bcl-2 protein and inhibits the mitochondrial-apoptotic response [110]; Gal3 promotes strong activation of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) through interaction with activated K-Ras [111].