LGALS3 and inflammatory bowel disease: IL-23 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in the regulation of pathogenic Th17 responses involved in autoimune diseases such as EAE, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel diseases.49–51 Elevated Lgals3 levels are often associated with autoimmunity52 and pharmacological inhibition or genetic deletion of Lgals3 attenuates IL-17-mediated autoimmune diseases such as EAE and colitis.53 However, the link between the IL-23 pathway and Lgals3 remains unknown.