LGALS3 and hepatitis A virus infection: In a study examining murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV)-induced hepatitis, Gal-3 was found to play a protective role, with Gal-3-deficient mice showing higher liver damage, increased serum levels of ALT, and higher virus titers, while treatment with exogenous Gal-3 alleviated MCMV-induced liver damage [49].